Chosen ones
by Ryuukah
Summary: Magic has officially had enough. Albus 'way too many names' Dumbledore has destroyed the world time and time again and Magic is tired after countless resets and failed attempts to save it. Now, with her siblings in on the deal; Dumbledore won't know what hit him. (Undergoing editing, Chapters 0 - 4 are finished)
1. Prolog (with Author's Note)

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Author's notes_**

 _(Please read at least once and know that the story may be updated with small changes often and without notice as the story evolves – **SCROLL DOWN FOR PROLOG** )_

"Speech." = English

"Speech." = Japanese

" _Speech_ " = Other languages

 _"Speech."_ = Thoughts _(Ignores language)_

/Speech./ = Mental Communication i.e. Telepathy _(Ignores language)_

§Speech.§ = Non-human languages such as Parseltongue and Draconian

 ** _*Sound!*_** = Sounds

 ** _¤Writing.¤_** = Letters and Notes

 **o0o** = Change of POV

 **oxo** = Start/End of Dream/Vision/Flashbacks

 **o000o** = Breakline _(Minutes or hours – always within the same day)_

 **0x0x0x0x0** = Breakline _(Minimum until the next day, but could be several days or even months)_

 **000x000** = Separation-line _(Separating story from Author's Notes and Titles etc.)_

 ** _Disclaimer:_**

The entries on the following list belongs to their respective owners

 _Mayor Influence:_

\- Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)

\- Bleach (Tite Kubo)

\- Fairy Tail (Hiro Mashima)

 _Moderate Influence:_

\- Sword Art Online (Reki Kawahara)

\- Chain Chronicle (Mobile game was developed by Sega and the anime TV series was directed by Masashi Kudo)

\- Seven Deadly Sins (Nakaba Suzuki)

\- Noblesse (Writer: Son Jae Ho, Illustrator: Lee Gwang Su)

 _Minor to Miniscule Influence:_

 _-_ Ancient Magus Bride (Kore Yamazaki)

\- Cardcaptor Sakura (CLAMP)

 _More additions are planned._

 ** _WARNINGS:_**

-Contains genderbender

-Contains **mild** same-sex relationship

-Will have swearing

-Rating may go up in later chapters (Currently T)

-Will be SPOILERS depending on how caught up you are with the books/mangas/animes _(THIS INCLUDES THIS PAGE)_.

-I also strongly advice readers to familiarize themselves with the individual parties involved in the story, as I will be writing in a way that assumes readers are aware of the background history.

 ** _Important Notes:_**

-Contains non-canon character-death prior to the story

-Some characters will be somewhat OOC (mostly because I might be unfamiliar with certain characters, or because I'm unable to portray them properly)

-There will be quite few reincarnated characters in this story.

-Some characters may be a bit OP, and somewhat Mary Sue-ish (but in a good way… I hope.)

-I will also be using both books/movies and anime/manga for the parties involved, and I will be using a good amount of my own imagination as well. I also use the wiki's quite a bit.

-Lastly and MOST IMPORTANTLY; I do draw a lot of inspiration from other fanfics, so there may be plenty of similarities, though I'll try not to outright copy anyone and I will try to leave a note and/or shout-out with those chapter that have heavy inspiration from others, since I do recommend that people read those stories.

 ** _Other Notes:_**

I would like to thank **_Virgil117Sparda_ ** for giving me some well-needed inspiration for this story through his/her Challenge **_Old Soul Reborn (Fairy Tail X Bleach)_** which is based of a story named **_Souls Reborn_** by **_Draconis Ignitus_**.

 _The Specifics of the Challenge is as follows:_

 _Natsu is Yamamoto reincarnated (required)_

 _Natsu doesn't get to know Ryujin Jakka's name until the Tower of Heaven arc (optional)_

 _Natsu slowly remembers portions of his past life (required)_

 _Trains to regain former strength and battle prowess (optional)_

 _Use of shunpo, hakuda, kido, etc. (optional)_

My story may not be what **_Virgil117Sparda_ ** had in mind or what he/she was hoping for, but I don't think I would've thought about the whole Natsu/Yamamoto-aspect of the story if I had not read his/her challenge. It has saved me the trouble of coming up with a brand new Zanpakutō (which I'm already having to do for another story), and it fits brilliantly into what I wanted for this story, which will include all of the listed Specifics except for the optional 'Tower of Heaven' one.

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Now onto the story

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 _Prolog_

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The **_Divine Powers_** were gathered.

Six figures stood around a large, floating sphere; an entire universe floating inside. These figures were the embodiments of the inescapable forces that governed everything within Existence, and they worked together to maintain Balance within, and between, an uncountable number of dimensions under their watchful eyes. Some dimensions were more stable than others, and unstable dimensions could easily affect their neighbors if nothing was done to correct the instability. At the moment, it was dimension 'JKR-26061997' **(AN 1)** that was the cause of worry, and it had been the youngest of the **_Divine Powers_** whom had been the one to gather her siblings for this meeting. **_Magic_** , or **_Miracle_** , as she was called by some, was usually the first to discover any problems; being able to sense disturbances that rippled through the vast number of energies that normally flowed in synchronized harmony throughout Existence.

Being the youngest, **_Magic_** had yet to find her proper place, but she had blessed a vast number of beings with a 'Gift' that shared her name, to a variety of results. Some dimensions embraced her gift, but, in most, her gift was eventually lost; her knowledge replaced by math, sciences, and technology. In some dimensions, magic blossomed despite similar development, though to varying degrees of success, and dimensions where coexistence and harmony existed between magic and technology, were **_Magic's_** pride and joy. However, these dimensions were few and far between. Dimension 'JKR-26061997' was far from one of them; wielders of magic had isolated themselves from the mundane, non-magical population, which now outnumbered them 10 to 1. More and more magical knowledge was being banned, causing a devastating and dangerous stagnation full of misconceptions. Those who showed interest in banned magic, or fought to legalize it, were deemed 'Dark', a term now synonymous with 'Evil'. **_Magic_** had long since given up on them, and would've left her gift to die, if not for the consequences of doing so.

JKR-26061997 was heading for a disaster. With only a single remaining planet capable of supporting life, this particulat dimension was hanging on by a thread, and **_Time_** had foreseen a global war; Magical against Mundane, and a complete eradication of life, caused by the damage inflicted on the planet by both sides. Mundanes would use Nuclear Weapons, leaving barren soil in their wake; likewise, Wizards would target the Mundanes' food- and water-sources, leaving it poisoned and inconsumable. Intervention was needed, but no matter what **_Magic_** did to try and solve her problem, nothing worked. Time and time again, **_Magic_** had reset this world, making minor changes with every attempt, but no matter what she did to attempt to change the outcome, one obstacle would ruin everything over and over again; that obstacle's name was Albus Dumbledore. In the original timeline, a 'Prophecy Child' by the name of Harry James Potter was supposed to bring balance back to the Wizard World, and was supposed to influence magic wielders across the planet, in turn preventing the war that **_Time_** had foreseen. Instead, the boy had become a marionette who danced to Dumbledore's tune without knowing it.

When Dumbledore died, Harry's 'strings' were handed over to one of Dumbledore's most loyal followers, Molly Weasley, who already had her own marionette in Hermione Granger, whom the woman had chosen as the perfect wife for her youngest son. Molly's two youngest children, Ronald and Ginevra, were trained to 'dance' from birth, and danced willingly long after Molly let go of the strings. In this original timeline, both Harry and Hermione had been given Love- and Loyalty-potions, followed by a liquid equivalent to the Imperius Curse. Harry had later been killed by his wife's hands; Ginevra had only married him for his money and fame after all. Meanwhile, Hermione had suffered from domestic abuse, curtesy her cheating husband, who had never loved her to begin with, and she eventually met a similar fate after Ronald got his mistress pregnant.

Changing Harry's gender, and making her look like her mother, was only **_Magic's_** first attempt to change the outcome, and, at first, it had looked promising. The girl had a better upbringing, and she had an improved sense of self-preservation that had given hope that she would be more aware of the manipulations, but Dumbledore countered with Compulsion Spells, and introduced the 'Liquid Imperious' much earlier. The girl was also paired with Ronald this time, and met a similar end to Hermione in the original timeline. Ultimately, the result was the same, and **_Magic_** reset the world again, and tried time and time again with new ideas and small alterations here and there, with varying degrees of success and catastrophe; until she finally cracked and asked her siblings for help.

It was not unheard of for a dimension to lose all sources of life, but, when it happened, Existence would become highly unstable if nothing was done to prevent it. The Spiritual and Physical Plaines _must_ be in balances, otherwise one would spill over into the other, and, in a dimension where everything is dead, this would inevitably occur, causing the dimension itself to become unstable. That instability would in turn affect the neighboring dimensions, causing a whirlpool-like effect that would eventually spread throughout Existence. The only way to solve this problem would be to erase, then replace, the dead dimension with a new one, before its neighbors are irreversibly affected. However, this creates a temporary void, or hole, that can be equally devastating to the Balance.

"Are you sure it will come to this?" **_Faith_** asked nervously.

"Surely your wizards aren't that _stupid_." **_Destiny_** , twin of **_Faith_** , spoke in denial.

The **_Twins_** were of quite the peculiar appearance; having golden-brown skin, and long, pale, silver hair. The **_Twins_** also had two pairs of dark red stripes under their eyes, each pair angled towards their noses. **_Faith's_** right eye was pale blue, like a diamond, while her left was pink, like rose-quartz, meanwhile **_Destiny_** was her twin's mirror-image. Both were wearing a Chinese dress, though **_Faith_** was wearing a yellow dress with red edges, while **_Destiny_** wore red with yellow edges. Each wore a pair of large golden bells where one would expect a pair of pig-tails would sit, tied with ribbons that matched their dress. The **_Twins_** guided souls chosen for specific tasks, and made sure that the right souls were put in the right places to insure the most favored outcome for their fated tasks.

 ** _Magic_** sighed sadly. "Unfortunately it has." She said. "And I am unable to fix it on my own; no matter what I do, the result is the same."

 ** _Magic_** was an ethereal beauty, with light-brown hair to her lower back, and she had incredibly pale, blue eyes, only slightly darker than the **_Twins'_**. She was dressed in a stunning dark blue, medieval dress embroidered with precious stones to match her jewelry and head-piece.

"I can confirm that drastic measures are needed." **_Time_** said firmly.

 ** _Time_** was a rather handsome man with short, white hair and white eyes, but always seemed to wear a cold, bored expression, and was wearing a Wanderer's Cloak. His 'All-seeing Eye' saw the past, the present, and the future all at once; and he was able to pinpoint the exact point in time where future events could be influenced, though his power had been of no help to his sister's predicament.

 ** _Death_** sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have sneaking suspicion that I know _who_ you're referring to." He said.

 ** _Death_** was the second oldest of the siblings, and looked a lot like **_Time_** , except his eyes were ruby red, and his hair was long and silver, and held in a low ponytail that reached his waist. He was dressed in a black Shihakusho, and his job was to manage the Spiritual Plain.

The others gave him a 'look'. "I don't know what you were thinking when I made those Hallows of yours." **_Magic_** said, a little irritated. "But, yes, _he_ is the source of the problem, and, for as long as he has that _thing_ in his possession, then he will remain resistant to my efforts."

 ** _Death_** groaned. He knew he shouldn't have encouraged those three brothers, but he had found them fascinating, and wanted to see what they would do with the knowledge he gave them. That decision had come back to haunt him on multiple occasions.

"What's our time-frame?" **_Life_** asked, changing the subject.

 ** _Life_** looked Native American, with skin that was slightly darker than the **_Twins'_** , and he had brown eyes. His hair was partially shaved, with long bangs that hung to the right. He was dressed like a punk, and wore a pair of white feathers in his hair, and wore a necklace made from animal fangs. His job was to manage the Physical Plain.

"The damage will be irreversible roughly a century and a half from the birth of the 'Prophecy Child'." **_Magic_** said. "As it is, the result is the same regardless of which side of the wizarding war wins; both one-sided ideals are too deeply implanted in the minds of the people."

"In other words; there are no neutrals." **_Life_** said. "At least, no one whom is capable enough to fight against both ideals."

 ** _Magic_** nodded. "The Child of Prophecy isn't strong enough to fix everything on their own." She said sadly. "In some timelines, they even make things worse." She then looked at the **_Twins_** curiously. "What made you chose _that_ soul of all things?"

The **_Twins_** shared a look, then **_Faith_ ** spoke. "We hoped the soul's understanding of true Black Magic would help them see Balance where the 'Light' does not." She said.

"Souls never forget; not even after being cleansed for reincarnation." **_Destiny_** explained. "By choosing a predominantly 'Dark' soul, we hoped to balance out the onslaught of 'Light' influence that the child would be exposed to."

"We did consider the possibility that the soul's emotional trauma might be a problem." **_Faith_** admitted. "But, there weren't many other options."

"Then, perhaps, we _all_ should choose someone more fitting?" **_Time_** suggested. "There are stronger souls out there."

"None that are available." **_Destiny_** half-snapped.

"We cannot just _take_ a soul from anywhere." **_Faith_** said putting a hand on her twin's shoulder to calm her; she had always been the gentler of the two. "Though we have more fitting candidates, these souls are already playing important roles elsewhere."

"Perhaps, but with careful timing we may be able to _borrow_ one." **_Time_** said sharing a look with **_Magic_** and **_Death_** ; they had discussed the matter earlier.

"There is a certain timeframe we can work with." She said, showing her sibling the soul in question. She could see the **_Twins_** were instantly reluctant, but she explained her reasoning carefully. "We need to interfere in order to save this dimension. **_Time_** , **_Death_** , and I have already talked about this and we agree that, if we're going to interfere, we might as well do it properly. If we use a soul that can be informed of their task, that soul would be able to keep their memories, and hence be able to return to complete their previous role."

"We plan to have the Child of Prophecy Blood-adopted by one of my Soul Reapers." **_Death_** said. "A Trueblood **(AN 2)** to be precise. That way we can interact with them, and give Soul Society a valid reason to act _before_ it is too late."

"We also realize that the task is too great for just one 'Chosen One'." **_Magic_** said. "So we have chosen three others to help out."

Three more souls appeared, and the **_Twins_** looked at each other, silently discussing the matter, then then both nodded. "Alright." **_Destiny_** said. "But, the matter _must_ be concluded by the end of the second Wizard War."

"We're only agreeing because this new task can significantly improve the success rate of their original roles." **_Faith_** said. "It will give them an advantage when they return, otherwise we would _not_ have allowed it."

"Then, let's get to work." **_Life_** said.

Timing was crucial. Because a soul cannot exist in two places within in the same time and space, in order to maintain the Universal Balance, the **_Divine Powers_** had to be careful and precise as they puzzled their plan together. The soul they had chosen to act as the new Child of Prophecy, was an old, powerful, but pristine soul that was now going to be reincarnated for only the second time. Though souls appeared to age in Soul Society, a soul would never deteriorate if it was never exposed to a specific type of 'wear and tear'. For most souls, this 'wear and tear' occurred every time they passed through the circle of reincarnation, but souls that went to Hell were instead slowly eaten away by the Kushanāda, the Guardians of Hell. Souls deteriorate in a manner similar to fine silk, eventually turning into dust or sand. In the deepest level of Hell, souls were constantly bombarded by the Kushanāda, and, as their bodies rot on the ground, Hell's fire consumes the bones, leaving behind black sand dotted with rocks **(AN 3)**. Meanwhile, in Soul Society, the sandy remains of the souls of Shinigami, could be used to form new Asauchi; blank swords with the potential to become a new Shinigami's Zanpakuto.

The chosen soul was born in Soul Society as Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, whom lived there for roughly 3000 years **(AN 4)**. Then, the soul had been reborn as a hot-tempered, happy-go-lucky boy named Natsu Dragneel, over 4 centuries before Yamamoto even met his death against Yhwach. Now, the soul would return to the dimension it was originally born into, along with three other chosen souls, to about ten years after Yamamoto's death, and about 18 years **(AN 5)** back in time from the very moment they were borrowed. As such, Euphemia Rose Potter was born on July 31st to Lord James Potter and his wife, Lily, and the **_Divine Powers_** watched the birth of their new Prophecy Child with a new sense of hope.

Then, **_Time_** noticed something. "Maggie?" He said bemused _._

"Yes?" **_Magic_** asked, wondering what had her brother confused.

"The Child of Prophecy is supposed to be a _boy_ , is he not?" **_Time_** asked, causing the others to look at them in realization.

"…"

"…"

"…"

 ** _Magic's_** eyes widened, and she blushed in embarrassment as she realized what had happened. "I… _may_ have forgotten to… undo some of my changes…" She admitted slowly, and she _had_ forgotten, in all honesty, even if she saw no reason to correct that mistake.

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 _The concept for the 'Divine Intervention' in this story was inspired by the story 'Brothers' by 'preciousann' which is one of my favorite stories. I can also mention a few others, but this was the story that inspired me to write this._

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** JKR stands for J.K. Rowling, and 26.06.1997 is the date 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' was published in the UK.

 **2)** A Shinketsu _('Trueblood' in English)_ is a Shinigami/Human-hybrid. (In the Anime, Grand Fisher calls Ichigo a Shinketsu after encountering Isshin, who has regained his Shinigami powers).

 **3)** See _Bleach Movie 4 – The Hell Verse_.

 **4)** Yamamoto's age is not revealed, but I estimate he would've been at least a 1000 years old by the time he founded Shinigami Academy, which is stated to have been founded 2100 years prior to when the plot begins.

 **5)** Originally, it was 13 years, so my Interlude of this event took place during the summer after Third Year, but I decided to push it back a bit to decrease the age-gap a bit. I also kinda want to use it as a season finally type of ending for the first part of this story,


	2. Chapter 1 - Lost Wolf, Family Found

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter 1 – Lost Wolf, Family Found_**

Ichigo Kurosaki, once a Substitute Shinigami, was now a dedicated husband and father. Ten years have passed since the Thousand-year Blood War, and he now worked in the Family Clinic with his father and sisters. His wife, Orihime, was a teacher at the local Elementary School where their son, Kazui, was a 4th grade student. However, yet again, his life was taking a turn, this time with the arrival of the newest member of the family. Like in the original timeline, Euphemia Potter was orphaned at only 15 months old, then left on the doorstep of her maternal aunt, Petunia Dursley, by Albus Dumbledore, whom was counting on the woman's hatred for anything 'unnatural' to provide him with a malleable 'sacrificial lamb' to serve his purposes in the future. This time around, however, Vernon Dursley, Petunia's husband, was leaving for a business trip to Japan that very morning, and had a spontaneous idea which resulted in the baby girl being abandoned outside a certain Family Clinic.

As soon as the decision to keep her was made, **_Magic_** and **_Death_** paid the family a visit. Shinigami, even Truebloods like Ichigo, were part of **_Death's_** domain, his reign of command, and, because of this, though the family had never even seen one, both Ichigo and Isshin instinctively recognized their visitors as **_Divine Powers_** , which made the explanation easier.

"Let me get this straight." Ichigo said with a groan. "A pair of idiots in Britain are leading the world to an early Doom's Day, and this baby is the only hope of stopping it?!"

"Unfortunately." **_Magic_** said calmly. " As it stands now, the wizard war will cause a devastating Third World War; regardless of which side wins. This child was specifically chosen to stop it. She, along with three companions will retain the memories of their previous life for this cause, and to give them the opportunity to return to the 'Fated Path' they were borrowed from. Their task is to ultimately bring balance back to wizardkind."

"Their job is to make sure the world survives this disaster." **_Death_** added. " Whether wizardkind becomes extinct or not is not their concern, and frankly moot point. The point is to prevent humankind from destroying all life on the planet."

Isshin, who was normally a very goofy man, was wearing a very rare and serious expression on his face. "It must really be bad if the **_Divine Powers_** are interfering. " He said thoughtfully. "I take it we were chosen to raise this child for a reason?"

 ** _Magic_** nodded. " I have already performed a Blood-adoption to bind her to your family." She said. "I know this is sudden, but if I had not performed it as soon as the child was brought into the house; one of the 'idiots' would've named himself as her Magical Guardian, and that is something the world cannot afford. In addition, I have also removed the bindings of your children's Magical Cores, which were placed there by your wife."

Ichigo twitched and glared at his father for having, yet again, neglected to inform him of something important regarding his heritage. Isshin found himself sweating bullets as he knew they would be 'discussing' this matter later.

"You're not incorrect when stating that you were chosen." **_Death_** said. " We, the **_Divine Powers_** , cannot interact with beings outside our domain; and I am the only one with _people_ within mine. That being said, I can only interact with Shinigami, or those with Shinigami-blood; you will notice that Mrs. Orihime cannot see or hear us, though she appears to be able to sense our presence, which is only due to her bond to this family. "

A quick look at Orihime confirmed this when she simply nodded at the silent question, though her awareness of the situation appeared more advanced than previously thought, as she had actually known what was being asked. Not that it was much of a surprise. Orihime seemed perfectly happy tending to the baby while everyone else were talking though, and let out a little squeal of surprise and joy as the baby's hair turned pink.

 ** _Magic_** noticed this and smiled slightly. " I'm afraid you'll have you hands full with her." She said. "She is one of the most powerful witches to be born in centuries, and her previous incarnation was a very powerful demon; I'd recommend that you get her a teacher as soon as possible."

"Got anyone in mind?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

 ** _Magic_** gave him a playful smirk. " As a matter of fact, yes, I do." She said.

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 _(A month later)_

Remus Lupin was a sad sight. Being easily mistaken for a homeless man – though, he wasn't really that far off, in all honesty – he sat in a small shack that looked as if it would fall apart at even the slightest wind. A thick blanket was all he had to protect himself from the cold, and his head was pounding. His body was sore to the point where even the slightest movement shot sharp pain up his spine. Last night was a full moon, and without access to the Wolfbane potion he had been forced to hike deep into a forest, and chain himself to a rock to prevent himself from running off and attacking someone. His limbs hurt where the chains were still in place, and he didn't have the strength to remove them. However, it wasn't just his body that hurt; his heart hurt as well. Less than a month ago, his entire world had come crashing down. Peter, James, and Lily were dead, and Sirius was in Azkaban, while little Euphemia, James and Lily's daughter, was left an orphan.

Remus wanted so badly to raise the baby girl as his own cub, but his condition made it impossible; not to mention that Albus Dumbledore had already taken the girl to what he claimed to be a safe place, and refused to tell him where. This left Remus heavily conflicted; on one hand he wanted to trust Dumbledore, and breathe a sigh of relief that Euphemia was seemingly safe, but, on the other hand, Remus was terrified of what Dumbledore had planned for the girl. Lily and James had become heavily suspicious of the man shortly before their deaths; the way the man had looked upon their daughter when informing them of the prophecy… like a starved wolf looking upon a piece of meat, they'd told him. They'd even gone against Dumbledore's wishes, and had confided in Remus, who was a suspected spy at the time. Many creatures, including werewolves were being recruited by the Dark Lord, and Remus was the obvious choice when their little vigilante group suspected that a traitor was in their midst. Dumbledore had also wanted James and Lily to move out of Potter Manor and go into hiding somewhere less obvious. They had eventually done so, against their own wishes, and Remus now suspected that it hadn't been their choice at all; Potter Manor was unplottable, and magically hidden; they would've been safe there.

Remus was at a loss. He wanted so desperately to find Lily and James' cub; they may not have been werewolves, but they were still his pack, his family, and not knowing what had happened to their cub was tearing him apart. Sirius' betrayal had all but crushed him, and if anything happened to Euphemia; it would surely kill him. But, what could he do? If he tried to track her down, Dumbledore would without doubt destroy him. Not to mention that Remus had no chance of providing the care that the girl needed; he was poor, and unable to care even for himself, and he was unable to get work. Being a werewolf without access to Wolfbane-potion certainly didn't work in his favor either, and it was for that reason that he could not bring himself to find his cub, and flee the country; the slightest mistake and he would kill her. The kidnapping charges he could live with, and he was confident enough that he could escape any man-hunts, but, if Euphemia died in his care, he could never forgive himself. But, what if her current living conditions weren't as safe as Dumbledore claimed? What could he do? He was in a lose-lose situation no matter what.

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It was just about noon when Remus was awakened by a deliberately loud 'pop', followed by the scent of a House-elf. He opened his eyes and sat up. He spotting the female elf in front of him; she was dressed in a nurse's outfit.

"Mr. Lupin, Sir. I am Ember of the Kurosaki Family Clinic in Karakura, Japan." The elf introduced herself with a polite bow. "My Master is willing to offer you employment and, if you will allow me to transport you, would like to discus with you the terms of a work-contract."

Remus was shocked; he opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out of his mouth. "Wh…What?" He eventually stuttered out.

"The offer comes after several recommendations, Mr. Lupin." The elf explained. "A Japanese citizenship will be required should you accept, however this will only benefit you as the ASS, the Asian Sorcery Society, will protect your rights even on British soil."

"I…" Remus started.

He was familiar with the ASS, having spent a few years in Japan, earning his Masteries in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Dueling, and he was aware of the fact that magical creatures had _actual_ rights outside of Europe. Britain especially was gravely behind the rest of the world in that department. In fact, the little elf in front of him was living proof of that; her uniform, her mannerism, the way she spoke, and, most important of all, the education she must have received. This elf was obviously trained for services in a medical environment, and she had obviously been taught how to speak fluent English.

"I don't know what to say." Remus finally said.

"Say you will meet with my Master and decide afterwards." The elf said putting her hands on her hips. "Since yesterday was a Full Moon, I have orders to transport you to a warm hospital bed, should you be willing. Master will not charge for treatment, and I will afterwards transport you back to Britain, should you decide to decline the offer."

A warm bed was too much of a temptation after sleeping outside for many months, and with winter fast approaching… "I… will gladly speak with your Master." Remus said hesitantly.

While some may have argued that this could be a trap, there was no way in Hell that the elf belonged to a Death Eater; a highly educated elf cost a fortune, and there was no way those people would spend that kind of money on a _servant_. Therefore, he just watched as Ember snapped her fingers to vanish the chains and then held out her hand for him to take. Once his hand was in hers, she transported them to her Master's clinic, where Remus found himself placed in a warm and comfy hospital bed, just like he had been told he would.

"I shall inform Master that you are here." Ember said. "Is there anything I can provide for you? Food, or anything to drink?"

Remus swallowed and realized how thirsty he was. "Some water, and a warm cup of tea, if it's not too much trouble." He said hesitantly, only to blush furiously as his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since the previous morning.

"I will provide what you've asked, and a hot meal." Ember stated and popped away.

She returned shortly after, and left Remus to eat his meal in peace. She also left him a few medical potions, including a pain-reliever, nutrient-potions to make up for the lack of food, and a Pepper-up. She also gave him a book on the current Werewolf-laws within the ASS, so that he could get a clear picture of what awaited him should he accept the job-offer. About half an hour later, Ember returned to remove the empty dishes and refill the mug of water and the pot of tea that she had given him. Another hour later, the door opened to reveal a beautiful young woman, a doctor, who introduced herself as Yuzu Kurosaki.

"I apologize that we haven't come to see you sooner, Mr. Lupin." She said in perfect English. "But, something came up that has left us quite busy."

"That's quite alright, Miss." Remus assured her with a slight blush. "And please, call me Remus."

"Then I insist you return the favor and call me Yuzu." The doctor said giving him a smile that could've melted him. "I know you must be curious as to why we chose to contact you, but do you think we can postpone that conversation until tomorrow? Like I said we're a bit busy at the moment, and I'm sure you could use the rest as well."

Remus nodded. "I could do with a bit of rest." He admitted. "I believe I'd like to read up on the laws a bit more as well; I knew things were different her, but I could've never dreamt that it was _this_ different."

Yuzu gave him a sad smile. "Admittedly my family and I have only recently discovered the magical world, so there are many things we don't' understand." She said. "Even so it was rather shocking to see how different the laws and general consensus is between our two countries."

Remus blinked. "Are you a muggle then, Yuzu?" He asked curiously.

Yuzu shook her head. "I am a Mundane-raised witch, but due to having my Magical Core blocked as a small child, I have no magical education." She said. "My mother died some time ago, and my father is not a wizard. He has little to no knowledge of the magical world so he was unable to remove the blocks; same goes for my siblings. We'll be discussing this tomorrow, however, as it is one of the primary reasons for why we contacted you."

Remus nodded. "I see." He said. _"A tutoring-job is it? Not bad, I suppose."_ He _had_ made somewhat of a reputation for himself after all; and James and Sirius had teased him relentlessly when they heard about it.

"I have to return to work, but if there's anything you need just call for Ember." Yuzu said.

"I will, thank you." Remus said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yuzu."

"Goodnight, Remus." Yuzu said and returned to work.

It had been a few weeks since her niece was adopted into the family and the baby girl, now named Tatsumi, was already a handful. The girl had seen Yoruichi transforming into cat-form one day and moments later they had a fox cub running around the house. **_Magic_** had explained that the girl had a partial block put on her Magical Core by a Healer the day she was born; this was because her Core was producing more magical energy than her tiny body could handle safely, but the block had to be temporarily removed so the blood-adoption could settle properly. The introduction of Shinigami-blood had since made the block superfluous as her body could now handle much higher levels of energy. That being said; she would now have to learn how to _control_ all that energy, which was easier said than done for a child that young.

Yoruichi had luckily taken responsibility, and was working on teaching the girl how to control her newfound ability by making a game out of it. Now they just had to make sure she didn't transform outside the house, or when they had visitors that weren't 'in-the-loop' so to speak. That was another reason why **_Magic_** had recommended Remus; he had been a close friend of the Potter's and had more information about what they could expect as little Tatsumi grew up. That, and they really wanted Tatsumi to have a link to her biological family, even if it was an indirect one.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

The next morning, Remus woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and a nice, light breakfast. Normally, he would think twice before eating food provided by strangers, but his Inner Wolf was unusually vocal, and was not only calm, but outright relaxed, something that was almost a completely new experience for him, as the wolf was usually on constant guard and alert, not to mention untrusting and hostile. It had Remus wondering if the wolf had picked up on something he had missed.

There was a knock on the door and it opened partially to show Yuzu, who appeared to be carrying something behind the door. "Good morning, Remus." She said. "I hope you're up for a little visitor." With that she opened the door fully to reveal a young, and familiar, toddler in her arms.

"Mooey!" The baby squealed upon seeing him.

"Cub!" Remus explained, then fumbled with the luckily empty teacup that he nearly dropped in shock. He set the cup on the little table he had received, and Yuzu was happy to hand the giggling baby into his arms. "I-I don't understand…"

Yuzu took a seat next to him on the bed. "We found her abandoned outside our clinic a few weeks ago." Yuzu explained. "My older brother has blood-adopted her."

Remus looked to the little pink-haired girl in his arms, and she made happy-noises as her eyes turned into a molted-gold color to match his. His lip trembled and he sniffed as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "I was told she was safe, but I always suspected…." He started, but had to stop to prevent himself from sobbing.

"We have much to talk about, Remus." Yuzu said calmly. "However, it will require a 'Magical Vow of Secrecy' from you, likewise my brother will give a 'Vow of Truth' because you won't believe what he have to tell you otherwise. We know you were a close friend of Tatsumi's biological parents, and we want her to grow up knowing her heritage, but we cannot provide that for her outside Gringotts-files and Ministry-records. We want her to know what her parents were really like, not how well off they were, or what grades they got in school; that's why we chose you."

"How did you know I knew the Potter's?" Remus asked quietly.

Yuzu gave him a smile. "I'm afraid that's a secret for now." She said.

Remus nodded, he understood that this was something he would be told after the Vows were exchanged. "When do we talk?" He asked.

"When you're feeling better." Yuzu assured him.

 **o000o**

Later that evening, Remus sat in the Kurosaki's living-quarters after having been invited to eat dinner with the family. Now he sat in a comfy chair, wearing warm, clean clothes borrowed from the family, and watching his cub interacting with her new mother. Isshin Kurosaki was currently lying in a corner with a huge bump on his head, courtesy of Karin after his attempts to entertain the baby went a little overboard. The incident had reminded Remus of how James and Lily used to interact, and it was at that moment he realized that Euphemia, now Tatsumi, was indeed in good hands.

Remus turned towards Ichigo, Tatsumi's new father. "Ichigo-san, I would like to hear about that job offer now, if I may." He said.

Ichigo nodded and the two exchanged Vows. The young, orange-haired man had terrified Remus at first; the power that rolled of him was insane! His Inner Wolf was usually hard to control when meeting strangers, as it would stubbornly demand that he assert himself as a dominant Alpha, but, the moment Ichigo stepped into the room, his wolf _instantly_ submitted. There was just _something_ about this man that had said 'Relax, you're safe, I'll protect you'. Remus and his wolf both felt incredibly safe in his presence; like this man was so powerful that nothing could harm them while he was around. It was just incredible.

"Mr. Lupin, you finished your Defense Against the Dark Arts Mastery here in Japan, right?" Ichigo asked as the two sat down again.

Remus nodded. "That's correct." He said. "I took my Dueling Mastery here as well."

"Then you're familiar with Shinigami?" Ichigo asked.

"As well as I can be." Remus said wondering what this had to do with his potential job. "Admittedly there's not much information about them, aside that they're highly respected by the ASS, as they're responsible for keeping a balance between the living and the dead."

Ichigo nodded. "Shinigami are souls, so in order for them to interact with the World of the Living they have what is called 'Gigai', or 'False Bodies', which allows them to quite literally walk amongst the living. My father is an Ex-Shinigami."

"Isshin-san is…" Remus said with wide eyes and looked over at the still unconscious man.

"My father has a special kind of Gigai that has allowed him to live as a human after he lost his powers to save my mother's life." Ichigo explained as Remus looked back at him. "I myself is what is called a Shinketsu, or Trueblood, a living human with the powers of a Shinigami, though my sisters are both human. Tatsumi, thanks to the blood-adoption, has become a Shinketsu as well."

Remus nodded indicating he understood, but he was too shocked to trust his voice at the moment.

"Have you read the ASS's views on 'Divine Power's, Mr. Lupin?" Ichigo asked.

"I-I have." Remus said stuttering slightly. "It was quite the fascinating reading."

"Then you know that Shinigami are a part of **_Death's_** domain, and hence capable of direct contact with said Divine Power?" Ichigo asked.

Remus swallowed. "I have a feeling I'm going to need a drink." He said half joking. Ember popped in and handed him a glass of brandy which he accepted.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything stronger to offer you, though you'll probably need it from what have to tell you." Ichigo said.

Remus emptied the glass after hearing that. "Just give it to me straight." He said steeling himself for what was coming next.

"The world has been reset well over a hundred times in the attempt to prevent it from dying." Ichigo said bluntly. "The Divine Power of **_Magic_** has called in reinforcements, and drastic measures have been made. As it is; the wizard war is not over and will break out again some time in the future, but, regardless of which side wins, their actions will ultimately lead to exposure and global war. Nuclear weapons and other devastating tactics will leave the earth barren and unable to support any life."

Remus covered his face with his hands in disbelief. "And I take it you have been asked to aid the Divine Powers?" He asked. Some part of him was in denial, insisting it was all a lie, but he had felt the 'Vow of Truth' taking effect; it was all true.

"Tatsumi and three other souls were chosen by the Divine Powers to save the world." Ichigo continued. "Each of them will eventually regain all their past lives' memories, as well as their powers. They're job is to prevent the world from dying; as long as the world itself survives in the end, the outcome of the wizard war is not their concern. They can even return to their old lives when they're done here; as a reward for their troubles."

"Merlin." Remus breathed. He then took a deep breath and once again emptied the glass of brandy, which had been refilled. He then gave Ichigo a determined look; if his cub was going to save the world, he was damned well going to help her. "I'm in. What do you want me to do?"

Ichigo chuckled and gave him a playful smirk. "For now we need a live-in tutor for me and my sisters, seeing as we didn't know about the magical world until Tatsumi was brought into our home." He said. "We also plan to make sure Tatsumi is prepared when she finally goes to Hogwarts; that means making sure she knows her biological heritage, and about her fame. As a friend of the Potter's you can give her knowledge about her parents that we can't, and that's important to us."

Remus was shocked. "You'll allow a werewolf to live in your home?" He asked out of reflex. Even in Japan he would still have to be registered, and there were certain requirements that had to be kept in homes that house a werewolf.

Ichigo nodded. "We've already prepared for what additions need to be added to the house." He said handing Remus the contract. "In fact, we've already done everything we can prior to you signing the contract, so everything is ready to be arranged as quickly as possible."

Remus took his time reading the contract in front of him; it was a Magical Contract so he needed to make sure he read every little thing on it, and he had to make sure he understood it before signing. The contract stated that, by signing, he agreed to take up a Japanese citizenship; which would give him some protection from the British Ministry while on British soil, though to be honest he wasn't quite comfortable with the methods. In ASS territory, a werewolf's rights vary slightly depending on their living arrangements. 'Lone wolves' like Remus were either introduced to a pack or became a 'pet' – in the lack of a better word – to a wizard or wizard-family. Regardless of their living arrangements, every werewolf was registered, and entered into the 'Werewolf Program' which helped, and otherwise assisted, werewolves with whatever they needed.

Packs lived mostly in Sanctuaries, where the boarders where magically protected to prevent unwanted or accidental visitors and, if necessary, the same wards separated packs that could not get along for whatever reason. Some packs, however, were more integrated into human society and were allowed to live outside the Sanctuaries, and amongst humans, or other species. Most of these packs consisted of people who had been turned and wished to continue living 'normally'. Naturally there were quite a number of rules for these packs to follow, and they were regularly checked up on by Caseworkers. Many of these rules also applied to 'Lone Wolves' and included a strict set of guidelines, including a Safe-room to spend the Full Moon, and special classes provided by the Program.

Remus had been floored when he first read about the classes; apparently there is a way to merge the human and wolf together, but it was not a common ability, and very hard to do. Doing it incorrectly would have a number of consequences; many of whom Remus recognized from his dealings with Fenrir Greyback, the wolf who turned him. The Classes will help the wolves get as far as they can into the process, and each wolf was handled individually. The less control a wolf had, the more guidelines were set in place for them, and, according the contract Remus now held, he would become a 'pet' of the Kurosaki-family, with Ichigo as his 'owner'. However, there were plenty of benefits to the seemingly 'humiliating' title. One of these benefits being that his 'owner' was directly responsible for his well-being and care. This included making sure he had a good place to live, making sure he was healthy, and making sure that all guidelines were in place. Mistreatment and neglect were met with heavy fines, and even prison-sentences, depending on the severity. It also included making sure he had all the certifications to prove he had completed all the classes provided by the ASS; that he had all his inoculations; that the home was werewolf-friendly according to the guidelines; and that he was educated as per his rights, etc.

In practice, it wasn't that much different from being under a 'Head of House' back in Britain; he would be expected to obey his 'owner', and would need his 'owner's' blessing to marry, or leave the family, should he wish to join a pack at some point in the future. He did have the right to legally challenge his 'owner', should he be denied his right to marry whom he wished, or should he be denied the right to leave, or simply just ordered to do something he didn't wish to do, but such things rarely happened. In fact, the only thing that really bothered Remus, was that outside of ASS-territory – and especially in Britain where the number of werewolf-rights could be counted on a single hand… with missing fingers – he would be registered as 'property'. Britain had strict laws regarding damaging another wizard's property, especially if the wizard was from a prominent pureblood family, so the ASS took advantage of that, as there were no laws against keeping non-humans as property.

Remus would have to wear a brightly colored collar with his owner's family-crest whenever he was outside of ASS-territory, and he would have to wear a gauntlet on his wand-arm to track his magic-use, heart-rate, and brain-activity in case he got into trouble with the government. The data collected could prove, without doubt, if he acted in self-defense during an attack, or if he attacked someone, and it had become a very important tool for the ASS to aid registered werewolves who were hunted for their species, unjustly arrested, or otherwise framed for something. The gauntlets also had in-build shield-spells to protect the wearer, as well as a tracking device to locate them if needed. Within ASS-territory, however, he would only have to wear a thin, metal wristband that acted as a permanent emergency-portkey, and was capable of sending an alarm and coordinates to his 'owner', in case he was injured or attacked. His 'owner' would be wearing a similar device on his wrist in order to receive said alarm and coordinates, and the device was also connected to the gauntlet.

All in all, it wasn't a bad arrangement, and, if it allowed Remus to watch his cub grow up safe and sound, it was all worth it in his mind. So, he signed the contract and was welcomed into the family, receiving a big hug from Yuzu, and a kiss on the cheek from Orihime as she handed Tatsumi over to him, all the while Ichigo playfully ruffled his hair with a big grin on his face.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**


	3. Chapter 2 - Ten years later

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter 2 – Ten Years Later_**

"WAKE UP, UNCLE REMUS!"

"Oof!"

"Come on! You promised to take me to Godric's Hollow today!"

Ten years ago, Remus would've defended himself against anyone who tried to launch themselves into the bed he was sleeping in – thinking he was under attack – but over the last decade he had become accustomed to the habit that little Tatsumi had, sadly, picked up from her grandfather by launching her full body at sleeping family-members. His Inner Wolf, however, was delighted because she was playing like a proper wolf-pup, so Remus often found himself play-wrestling with a grinning Tatsumi when she woke him up like this.

"Alright, that's enough." Remus laughed and untangled them from the sheets that had wrapped around them as they played. "Why don't you go down for breakfast while I get ready?"

"Ok!" Tatsumi said and all but skipped out of the room.

Remus chuckled at his cub's antics, and got out of bed to take a shower and get ready for the day. Honestly though, he was quite nervous about going back to Britain for the first time in ten years, but Tatsumi needed her school-supplies – though they had already gotten most of it in the Magical Market in Kyoto, she could only get certain things in Britain – and they had an appointment with the Head Goblin at the British branch of Gringotts as well. Tatsumi also wanted to visit her biological parents' grave, so they were going there first.

Remus smiled as he though about his cub. Eleven years old today, Tatsumi was what many would call 'her father's daughter', and was known as a carefree and hot-tempered girl who loved to fight and would gladly take on street-punks trice her size. Like Ichigo and Orihime, she had grown up with her fair share of trouble caused by her hair-color, and she had been circling her hair-color from black – her birth-color – to various shades of pink – her favorite – to dark-purple – after her favorite teacher – and orange – to match her parents – before finally settling on a nice, light shade of pink, which she hasn't changed since she was five. She had regained the majority of her memories by that age, and she has since insisted on keeping her hair short, despite her mother's protests.

Tatsumi's eyes had also been permanently changed from emerald to molten gold, and Tatsumi now bears a strong resemblance to her most recent past life as Natsu Dragneel. Her hair was mostly short, and had remained spiky, albeit with a much softer texture; giving her soft-spikes rather than stiff. She also has long, slightly messy bangs, and has left a handful of hair at the back of her neck to grow out to reach her thighs while braided – a compromise with her mother – and said braid had a tendency to whip around quite a bit as she moved around. Tatsumi has also retained Natsu's big, goofy smile and the same long, sharp canines.

Tatsumi wasn't a very feminine girl, as reflected by her clothing which is usually baggy, practical and comfortable. She is also rather fond of sandals, and usually wore a pair of black, Greek sandals outside the house while she wore slippers inside the house. She also wore a black choker around her neck – a Power-limiter to help her control her powers – as well as a silver chain necklace identical to Rangiku's. Natsu's guildmark was still present on her arm as a Magical Birthmark, and she had regained pretty much all his memories and powers by now. As a result, she has retained a lot of his personality as well, including his habit of wearing a thick, black wristband, though there were a few changes thanks to yet another past incarnation which was resurfacing within her subconscious, though Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto would never become as prominent as Natsu.

Remus chuckled as he remembered the day they had discovered that particular detail. The Kurosaki's had taken a trip to Soul Society to introduce their newest member of the family to all of their Soul Reaper friends; except Tatsumi already knew them. Renji, who had been the first to greet them, had thought Ichigo had played a prank on him when Tatsumi pointed at him and called him by his last name, albeit she said it as good as a one-year-old baby could. And it wasn't just Renji; as more and more people came to see the baby, she would name them one by one, much to the astonishment and confusion of everyone there. Though Ichigo all but laughed to death when Byakuya showed up and was abruptly referred to as 'Brat'. However, the importance of the situation was made evident when Tatsumi looked around and asked for Ukitake, though she had asked by his first name, and then started crying when they told her he was gone. As the only other person she had referred to by their first name was Kyoraku; it was obvious that Tatsumi wasn't the reincarnation of just _any_ Soul Reaper.

At the moment, it didn't appear like Tatsumi was going to regain any more conscious memories from Yamamoto, though she appeared to have regained a few of his personality traits, and his knowledge, albeit on a subconscious level, seeing as she only actively remembered people and had a mental map of Soul Society despite never having been outside of the Seireitei. In addition, although Yamamoto's zanpakuto, Ryūjin Jakka, has been re-forged and returned to her – and has accepted her – she has no plans to return to the Gotei 13. Instead, she is fully dedicated to the thought of returning to her Soulmate in Earthland, as their soul-bond had remained intact. Granted, such bonds never actually break; they just become dormant when both halves pass on, and Tatsumi's Mate was still very much alive.

Kisuke and Yoruichi, Tatsumi's Godparents, had volunteered to keep an eye of Earthland and her old guild, Fairy Tail, since it meant so much to her. The two had also helped jog her memories of being a Soul Reaper, as the blood-adoption had reawakened that part of her soul, and had helped her re-master those powers and abilities. Though, for safety reasons, she's not allowed to use her Zanpakutō unless _absolutely_ _necessary_ … at least until she gets a bit older. Instead, Yoruichi had focused on her hand-to-hand combat-skills to compensate, and they were working on getting her back up to Yamamoto's level. Meanwhile, Kisuke had re-shaped Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka into a pair of earrings, which had then been handed down to Tatsumi upon Orihime's request. Apparently, Orihime is terrified that the girl is going to burn herself despite Tatsumi's reassurances that her Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, as well as her demon-blood, makes her immune to her own flames, as well as any flame weaker than her own. She was also far more proficient in Kido than Ichigo ever was, though, luckily, it doesn't seem like Tatsumi has inherited any of Ichigo's Hollow-abilities, though the jury was still out on whether she had inherited any Quincy-abilities given how her Earthland Magic functioned much in the same way.

When Remus finally made it into the dining room, he was dressed in a western wizard-robe and wore his bright red and gold colored collar, as well as the gauntlet, which actually looked more like jewelry than anything else, as it was made of a golden metal with a large, oval, ruby-red crystal on the back of his hand. He got a kiss on the cheek from Yuzu, his wife, who was heading to the clinic, and took a seat next to Tatsumi, who was dressed in her favorite Amazon-green hoodie and pale, grayish-blue, knee-length pants that had black ties at the end of each pant-leg. Everyone else had left for work, so it was just the two of them. At least until Remus felt a tug on his pocket while sipping his coffee, and looked down to see Tatsumi's pet Niffler trying to get to his money-pouch.

"Kaito, no." He scolded calmly. "You're not allowed to take my wallet."

"Kaito! Bad boy!" Tatsumi scolded. "Come here!"

The Niffler scurried over to his owner, and climbed up her chair to her shoulder, where he was rewarded with a piece of fried shrimp.

"There you go. Good boy." Tatsumi said, and Kaito quickly dived into her hood so he could eat his shrimp in his favorite napping-spot.

The Niffler had been somewhat of a joke-gift from a family-friend who figured it would be funny, given how dragons were supposedly treasure-hoarders according to Mundane fairy tales. Nifflers are notoriously attracted to anything shiny, and were known to wreak havoc while trying to gather anything that caught their eye. Because Kaito was a bonded familiar, Tatsumi had luckily been able to train him, however, so he rarely stole anything that was obviously owned by someone. Of course, that didn't stop him from being mischievous.

"Remember to put him into his carrier before we leave." Remus reminded his niece. "The Goblins won't appreciate us bringing him along."

Tatsumi nodded, but was otherwise focused on her food. Though Tatsumi had retained Natsu's appetite and lack of table-manners when her memories had come back; Orihime had spent a lot of time and effort teaching the girl proper table-manners, with debatable success. Meanwhile, Remus went back to his breakfast. He was reading the Daily Prophet, a British wizarding newspaper, and today's edition contained an article about Tatsumi, accompanied by a picture that had been taken the previous year.

 ** _¤Welcome Back, Our Beloved Savior!_**

 _By Rita Skeeter_

 ** _Today makes eleven years since the birth of the Girl-Who-Lived, Euphemia Rose Potter, today known as Tatsumi Kurosaki._**

 ** _After the death of her biological parents, Lord James Potter and his wife, Lily, the then-fifteen-month-old baby girl was removed from the ruins of the Potter Family Cottage by Albus Dumbledore, one of the most powerful wizards in our day, who, against the Potter's Last Will and Testament, to which he was a witness, left the baby on the doorstep of Lily's Muggle, magic-hating sister, Petunia Dursley, without ringing the doorbell, and with only a blanket to keep her warm on one of the coldest nights of that year._**

 ** _On that following morning, the neighborhood of Little Whinging in Surry, England, woke up to a horrified shriek as Mrs. Dursley found the baby girl on her doorstep. Shortly after Mr. Dursley was seen leaving for the airport, reportedly to attend a business meeting in Japan, though Mrs. Dursley did not know to which town her husband was traveling. Once in Japan, Mr. Dursley abandoned the baby girl outside a seemingly ordinary Muggle Medical Clinic._**

 ** _Run by the Kurosaki Family, this clinic became our savior's new home, and the family soon proved themselves to be a formidable force against all those seeking to take their new blood-adopted daughter away from them. Those who thought they could cash in on the girl's fame also found themselves facing lawsuits. Authors, toy-makers, and anyone else who attempted to sell 'Girl-Who-Lived'-merchandise were struck down quickly and effectively. In addition, the Potter Estate has remained active over the last decade, and the Family Fortune has grown by nearly 30% since that fateful Halloween-night. One might think the goblins of Gringotts were to thank for this success, but, according to the goblins, they are simply following the instructions of their most valuable costumer._**

 ** _Today, young Tatsumi is a lively girl, and one of two known Metamorphmagi to have been born in Britain. She is also the daughter of the last remaining Wizarding Nobility in Japan, one of only ten remaining Noble Families in the entire ASS – the Asian Sorcery Society – a single Magical Government that governs over the wizarding population of all Asian Countries, due to the low number of magic folk on the Asian Continent. Tatsumi's blood-adopted father, Ichigo Kurosaki, is the current Head of the Ancient and Noble Kurosaki-clan, a title inherited from his late mother, Lady Masaki Kurosaki, who married a Muggle doctor, and settled into a humble lifestyle in which to raise her children_** (AN 1) ** _._**

 ** _However, come September 1st, young Tatsumi will return to Britain to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though wary of Headmaster Dumbledore, young Tatsumi has expressed the desire to go to the same school where her biological parents spent their youth. People have often wondered if the girl will be as brilliant as James and Lily, who were Head Boy and Head Girl respectively during their seventh year. Will she be talented at Transfiguration, like James was, or will she be talented in Charms, like Lily?_**

 ** _Only time will tell, my dear readers, and I, for one, am curious to see for myself what our dear Savior will become._**

 ** _We, the Daily Prophet, welcome our Savior back with all our hearts; Welcome Home.¤_**

Tatsumi snorts from where she had been reading over her uncle's shoulder. "'Welcome Home', yeah right." She snarked and finished her orange-juice before heading upstairs to put Kaito in his pet-carrier.

She then grabbed her shoulder-bag and headed back downstairs where Remus was getting their portkey ready.

 **o0o**

 _(Meanwhile)_

 ** _Magic_** was at Hogwarts. She was making the last adjustments needed to give the castle a sentient spirit; a guardian for the students. The castle itself had absorbed enough magical energy to be able to sustain such a spirit, but said energy hadn't quite congregated enough to become sentient by itself; that would take another century or two to happen naturally, so **_Magic_ ** was giving it a little push to speed up the process. This was one of two new additions to their Divine Plan; the other would be revealed by **_Death_** later today.

A sad thrill from Fawkes – Albus Dumbledore's slave-bound phoenix – made **_Magic_** look up from her work. The poor bird had been sold while he was still in his egg, and gifted to Dumbledore by the man's lover. Phoenixes were one of **_Magic's_** greatest creations; pure creatures born to guide those favored by the **_Twins_**. Fawkes was supposed to be the guide of the 'Child of Prophecy'; he was supposed to remain unbound to watch Dumbledore's movements until the day his companion was born, and then escape to watch over his companion. Dumbledore was never supposed to be able to force a bond upon the bird; it wasn't supposed to be _possible_ , but somehow the man found a way.

This was only one of many examples why Albus Dumbledore was so dangerous.

 ** _Magic_** started stroking Fawkes' feathers, hoping to give some comfort to the distressed bird. The slave-bond was painful, not only in itself, but also because Dumbledore's heart was anything but pure. **_Magic_** then smiled as the man threw yet another temper tantrum; those had been amusing to watch over the last ten years. She remembered how Tatsumi's blood-adoption had been performed just in time; mere hours had prevented Dumbledore from claiming the title of 'Magical Guardian', as he had needed the approval of the Wizengamot, and there had been several other agendas to discuss during the emergency-session he had called in; causing the session to run on over-time.

Dumbledore had been furious, and desperate, when he realized that not only had he not succeeded in gaining control of some of the Potter-assets, but James and Lily's Will had been executed before he could have it sealed. Furthermore, the goblins of Gringotts had refused to give out any information regarding the adoption, and the Durlsey's were of no help as the only person who knew where the girl had been abandoned was Vernon, and he had been subject to a fatal automobile accident after drinking too much Japanese rice-wine during his business trip. Petunia hadn't even bothered asking which town her husband was going to, so she was completely useless.

After returning to his office, Dumbledore had then noticed several small objects – which he had charmed to monitor certain spells cast upon the Girl-Who-Lived – had stopped functioning. The device monitoring the Blood-wards had failed as expected, but the device monitoring the magical blocks had also failed, much to his dread. Any devices monitoring the girl's health had also stopped functioning, most likely due to the blood-adoption, because the devices were based of the blood Dumbledore had drawn from the girl prior to leaving her at the Dursley's. Dumbledore had drawn enough blood to surpass any blood-locks that would've prevented him access to certain vaults in Gringotts, but the goblins would've long since updated those locks by now, and without 'Magical Guardianship' they wouldn't even let him _see_ the vaults now. The blood would be useless for any other purpose he had planned to use it for too, including the Marriage-contract he had been negotiating with Molly Weasley. Needless to say; the woman was _not_ happy when she heard the news.

Over the last decade, Dumbledore had tried a number of different tactics to get things 'back on track', only to learn the hard way that you don't mess with the Kurosaki's. Upon discovering that Remus had left the country, Dumbledore had immediately tried to arrange for a warrant for his arrest, under the charge of kidnapping, but the accusation was thrown right back into his face by Amelia Bones – Tatsumi's first Godmother and supposed-to-be Magical Guardian – whom had accused him of illegally placing the girl with the Dursley's without any form of legal right to do so. Amelia had, by that time, received word from Remus and knew what had really happened, and had even read the letter out loud for the Wizengamot.

Following attempts to gain some control of the situation, had been met by the Kurosaki's Team of Lawyers, a group that actually consisted of various Shinigami, and sometimes members of the Divine Powers themselves. Nanao and Byakuya had been especially effective in their own ways, and soon even the Minister of Magic got the message to 'back off'. The collective impression was that the Kurosaki's were a very powerful wizard-family, and more than capable of providing the 'Savior of the Wizard-world' with the protection she needs. The news that the girl was to be attending Hogwarts, when the time came, also helped calm things down, and, soon, Dumbledore was the only one still trying.

Rootclaw, the Potter Vault Manager in Gringotts, had also had his hands full with the man. Despite the lack of proper guardianship, Dumbledore had tried to act the role, as if he believed the Goblins had no idea of what was going on in the Ministry. Rootclaw had received numerous requests for withdrawals from Tatsumi's trust-vault, and countless requests to manage the Potter's investments; the man had even tried selling several of the Potter estates. In the end, Rootclaw sent every single letter along with a formal complaint to Amelia, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, who in turn had been absolutely furious, even going as far as sending a Howler to the Old Goat; one that was heard throughout the entire castle, and ensuring that every single student sent letters home to their parents about the rather spectacular incident that was now **_Magic's_** favorite memory.

Grinning at the memory, **_Magic_** finished her work and gave Fawkes one last scratch before she faded away. It would take a full day before Hogwarts would be fully conscious, and, after that, it would take some time before the castle could fully manifest a spirit; until then **_Magic_** had a surprise to participate in, and she wouldn't miss it for the world.

 **o000o**

Godric's Hollow **(AN 2)** was a village in the West Country of England. It was a small community centering on a village-square indicated by streetlights, with only a church, a post office, a pub, and a few retail shops. The village was quaint with a narrow road with identical cottages residing on either side. The village became one of many relatively large wizard-settlements after the ratification of the 'Statute of Secrecy' in 1689, as large numbers of witches and wizards grouped together for comfort, and safety in numbers after many years of persecution at the hands of muggles, and it was even rumored that many muggles living in the village were sacrificed by wizards to Lord Voldemort.

The village was also famed as the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor, though other significant residents include the Potter's, the Dumbledore-family, Bowman Wright, and Bathilda Bagshot. Tatsumi's ancestor, Ignotus Peverell, was born and subsequently buried here as well. The Potter Memorial Statue was placed in the center of the village square. From a distance it looked like an obelisk at first – carved with the names of people who died in a war – but as one got closer, a witch or wizard could see the memorial change into a statue of a family; James and Lily Potter as well as their infant daughter.

The Potter Cottage, on the edge of the village, was similarly charmed to be invisible to muggles. It was a comfortably sized, two story building with a small gate and hedges surrounding the front yard, and large cobblestones decorated the exterior walls of the cottage. The cottage had been left in its ruined state as a testament to the violence of the First Wizarding War, and to the lives lost there. As such, Euphemia's old nursery had remained in its 'blown apart'-state. The room was located on the second floor, close to the staircase in the living room, and an old Magical Alphabet was still hanging on the wall. According to Remus, Euphemia was born in this room.

Located behind the small St. Jerome's Church, was the village's graveyard. Row upon row of tombstones, some very old, lined the graveyard. James and Lily's grave was made from a white marble that was known to shine in the darkness, and the headstone was engraved with the usual dates of birth and death, followed by a message;

 ** _¤The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.¤_**

Tatsumi scoffed. "What is it with people viewing death as an enemy?" She asked genuinely.

Remus smiled affectionately and patted her on the head. "Most people don't know what awaits them, so it scares them." He explained.

Ten years ago, he was one of many who feared dying, but he has since realized that it wasn't dying itself that he was afraid of; it was dying before he had a chance to live. Back then, he fully believed he would die alone, without a wife or a family of his own; because no one deserved to be stuck with a man of his ' _condition'_. Now, he was married to the most wonderful woman in the world, and one day they would have a child together. In fact, Yuzu had already decided on the name of their first-born; Masaki, after her mother.

"I still think it's stupid." Tatsumi stated.

 ** _Magic_** laughed; she had arrived in time to hear the last part of their conversation.

"Hello, Maggie." Remus greeted her.

"Ohayo (Good morning)!" Tatsumi added.

"Good morning, you two." **_Magic_** said in English.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Remus asked.

 ** _Magic_** giggled. "No." She said. " ** _Death_** , however, has a surprise for you. They should be here any minute."

As if on cue, a pair of large, metal, medieval, castle doors materialized in front of them; they were about to be visited by the Knights of Avalon, the European Soul Reapers. **_Death_** was the first to step out of the portal, but the other two – who were dressed in medieval Mage's Robes – were completely unexpected.

"James! Lily!" Remus exclaimed.

"Remus?" James said, equally shocked to see his old friend. "You can see us?!"

"Mum! Dad!" Tatsumi exclaimed and ran over to give her birthmother a hug, while Remus did the same for James.

"Forget _seeing_ us." Lily said astonished and grabbed onto her daughter for dear life. "They can _touch_ us!"

Remus let go of James and turned to **_Magic_**. "I take it this was the surprise you were talking about?" He asked.

"Yes." **_Magic_** said happily, and looked to **_Death_** to explain.

"As fully trained Soul Reapers they are part of my Domain." **_Death_** said. "Once they'd graduated from the Academy, there was no reason not to involve them since Avalon is already involved."

"Awesome!" Tatsumi cheered. "'Kaa-chan is going to be so excited!"

"I'm getting the feeling we're missing something important." James commented.

"Everything will be explained in due time." **_Magic_** reassured him. "Right now, Remus and Tatsumi have a meeting with Rootclaw at Gringotts, so we should really get going."

"Meanwhile, the two of you will come with me to Japan." **_Death_** explained. "Once there we'll bring you up to speed."

James and Lily nodded, indicating they understood, and Lily reluctantly let go of her daughter. If she'd know her baby was spiritually gifted enough to see Soul Reapers, she wouldn't have dragged her heels so much when James suggested they enroll in 'Merlin's Academy'; she'd had enough of fighting while she was alive, and all she wanted was a peaceful afterlife, but James was just too restless, so she had eventually given in. As Wizards, they were trained to join the Mage Division, though they were separated into different sub-divisions as Lily wished to be a Healer Mage rather than a Battle Mage.

The 'Knights of Avalon' was divided into two main divisions with two subdivisions each. The Mage Division was lead by Merlin himself, and Mages used Mages Robes as their uniform. Lily, as a member of the Healer Sub-Division, wore green, while James, as a member of the Battle Sub-Division, wore blue. The Rider Division was lead by King Arthur, and the subdivisions consisted of mounted knights who were divided into 'Land Riders', who wore metal armor, or 'Sky Riders', who wore black dragon-hide armor, depending on whether or not their chosen mount could fly. Each subdivision was in turn lead by a captain.

"We'll talk when Remus and I get back, okay?" Tatsumi said smiling.

Lily swallowed the knot in her chest and nodded.

 **o000o**

Once in Diagon Alley, it was immediately obvious that the alley was much different from the Magical Market in Kyoto, not just in appearance, but in atmosphere as well. It had taken a couple of hours, but they had finished their errand at Gringotts, and were now shopping for the remainder of Tatsumi's supplies. However, as they walked, Tatsumi frowned and glared right back at anyone who turned their nose up at her for wearing mundane clothing.

"People here are so rude." She said. "I already regret having to come here."

"Like the rest of Europe, it does leave much to be desired." Remus agreed. After living in Japan for so long, it was outright disturbing to be back here.

Tatsumi rolled her eyes and decided to ignore the looks, something she'd learned to do in her past life after discovering she was END. Only the support she got from the royal family, and allied guilds, prevented the public from fearing her, though some did anyway. Those people were the same people who feared Mirajane for the same reason, however, and once people made the connection between Natsu and Mirajane, most relaxed. Nearing Natsu's death, things had pretty much gone back to how it was before the whole mess with Tartaros, but certain people had had enough of the Kingdom's lenient view on demons, and made active threats towards the royal family. Natsu had been killed while protecting Princess Hisui, soon-to-be-Queen of Fiore, from an assassination attempt.

Hisui had survived the ordeal relatively unharmed, but three other mages had also been killed, and while **_Magic_** and her siblings had never told her who the other three Chosen Ones where; it was kind of obvious. Question was; where were they?

"Luckily, we only need a few things here that we weren't able to get in Japan." Remus said. "Let's get the uniforms and robes first. It takes time to tailor them, so we can get everything else while we wait for our order to be finished."

They went to get the uniforms first, but, unlike how it had been during Remus' school days, the shop now sold articles of clothing that were already made, so once the measurements were in, all the clerks had to do was find the right shelves. Tatsumi had asked for a set of the pants as well, which she had to argue a bit for, but there as no rules against it – as the school rules only stated that the students had to wear the _school-uniform_ , and never actually stated which version – and the clerk eventually just gave up and gave her what she wanted. Afterwards, they headed to 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions' where Tatsumi was led to a small podium in the back. Next to a very familiar face.

"I suppose your going to Hogwarts as well." The boy said without even looking at her. Obviously a Noble Pureblood, based on the attitude.

Tatsumi just smirked playfully at him. "Still a peacock I see, ne _Lyon_? " She said.

The boy's head instantly snapped towards her with wide eyes. "Natsu." He breathed, then smiled slightly in relief. "I was wondering if anyone else was here."

"There's four of us." Tatsumi said. "Though, you're first one I've encountered."

"Then, how do you know there's four of us?" 'Lyon' asked with a raised eyebrow.

Tatsumi smirked. "I have _Divine_ sources. " She said. "Why do you think we still have our memories?"

"I _was_ wondering. " 'Lyon' mumbled. He had suspected something was up for a while, and with everything he's been through in his past life, he certainly wasn't surprised.

"I've heard rumors about other 'Returned', but I've not met them yet." Draco said. "The Girl-Who-Lived is one of those rumors; it makes you wonder."

"I can actually confirm that one." Tatsumi said and discreetly moved her bangs just enough to show the faint lightning-bolt-shaped scar. She then held out her hand to introduced herself. "Tatsumi Kurosaki."

Draco's eyes widened a fraction, but he composed himself and took her hand with a small smile. "Draco Malfoy." He introduced himself. "It's rather faint though, for a 'Cursed Scar'."

"'Cursed' would be inaccurate." Tatsuki said. "It's not something we can talk about here though."

Draco nodded, indication he understood. "So, is it true you were raised in the Muggle-world?" He asked curiously. "I know you've been aware of the wizard-world, given the amount of lawsuits against people who thought they could profit on your name, but the media hasn't been very clear. The 'Daily Prophet' states you're raised by wizards, but more Dumbledore-friendly papers claim you were raised by muggles."

"I _was_ raised mostly mundanely. " Tatsumi said. "I was raised by a blood-adopted wizard-family who lives in a Mundane town."

"Mundane?" Draco asked a bit confused.

"In Asia, everything non-magical is simply called Mundane." Tatsumi explained.

Draco nodded. "Are your parents here?" He asked.

"My uncle is at the front of the shop." Tatsumi said. "And yours?"

"Buying the rest of my supplies." Draco said. "Have you finished yours yet?"

"Almost." Tatsumi said. "We got most of it in Kyoto, but I was missing the clothing and we're getting the cauldron after this. Standard sizes are different in Japan. I'm also missing some potion's ingredients that are only used in western countries. I also need to get a wand."

"We will most likely head home when the measurements are done, and have the robes delivered." Draco said disappointed. "That doesn't leave us much time to figure out our situation."

Tatsuki punched his arm. "We'll see each other on September 1st, won't we?" She reminded him. "We'll have all year to figure out what's going on, and besides; the others will most likely be on the train with us."

Draco rubbed his arm, but smiled slightly anyway. "I suppose you're right." He said. "And it's not like we'll get back to Earthland any time soon, if at all."

Tatsumi smiled reassuringly. "We'll get back home one day." She said, but she didn't mention that her Godfather already had a device that could travel between worlds.

About five minutes later, Draco was finished with his measurements just in time for his father to walk into the shop and place the order.

"Mr. Lupin." Lucius Malfoy said hiding his surprise, and eyeing Remus' collar. "I heard you had moved abroad."

"I did." Remus said as politely as he could muster. "My niece is preparing for Hogwarts, however, so we're here to get her supplies."

Draco walked up to them. "You're Tatsumi's uncle then?" He asked and bowed slightly in greeting. "I am Draco Malfoy, an _old_ acquaintance of hers."

Lucius, who had been ready to berate his son for bowing to a _werewolf_ , bit his tong at the side-ways glare his son was giving him at the emphasis of the word 'old'. He had learned his lesson about questioning the boy's past, after he nearly lost his wand-arm to frostbite.

Remus blinked a bit at the interaction, then smirked playfully at Lucius who was still holding his tong. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy." He said returning the bow politely. "I am Remus Lupin. I take it you'll be starting Hogwarts this fall as well?"

"That's right." Draco said. "Although my father wished for me to go to Durmstrang."

"It was Tatsumi's second choice as well." Remus said smiling. "Her mother suggested Beauxbatons, but Tatsumi didn't want to go to some 'Prissy Princess School', as she called it."

Draco chuckled. "I admit; I wasn't fond of the idea of going there myself." He said. "But, isn't there any school's closer to home?"

It was Tatsumi who answered, as her measurements were done. "There is, but it's in Beijing and it's packed full so it doesn't accept anyone born outside Asia." She explained.

At that moment, Narcissa Malfoy stepped into the shop, and upon seeing Remus she sneered and was about to say something before Draco stopped her. "I would appreciate, Mother, if you did not insult my sister-in-law's uncle." He said glaring at her.

Narcissa instantly snapped her mouth shut; she knew better than to piss of her son. Meanwhile, Tatsumi was ecstatic. "Hey, I'm not the 'brother-stealer' anymore!" She cheered. "Woohoo! Progress!"

Draco rolled his eyes at her, but was unable to keep the grin off his face; he missed the craziness that Earthland Mages tended to have, and he was glad to have it back.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** With the way I've written this story, Asia has very few wizards and the Kurosaki's are actually one of the few remaining Noble family in Japan. I also have to explain that since Masaki was a pureblooded Quincy, her _magical_ ancestor would either have to be someone who was granted Quincy powers by Yhwach – or possibly even a blood-related descendant – or someone whom married into a Quincy family prior to the start of the Quincy's true-breeding.

 **2)** I looked up Godric's Hollow and the Potter's Cottage on the wiki, and wrote parts of the chapter around those.


	4. Chapter 3 - Returned

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter 3 – Returned_**

Tatsumi was taking a last walk around town. In the morning, she was to leave for Britain and would be gone until Christmas. She would miss this place, though she was looking forward to seeing Draco again, and find out if the other two were there as well. Tatsumi expected all four would be gathered at Hogwarts, but **_Magic_** had never specifically said they would, which was making her slightly nervous.

 ** _*Ceramic shatters!*_**

The sound made Tatsumi stop mid step and look up ahead. What she saw made her see red. She had always had great respect for the dead, but after being raised by Shinigami that respect had taken on a whole new level. Ahead of her, a group of punks – two boys and two girls – wasn't sharing her sentiment, however, as they simply laughed as a homemade flowerpot laid smashed on the ground whiles the ghost of a very young boy was crying nearby.

 *** _Snarl!*_**

The tallest of the two boys calmly turned his head towards the noise, expecting a dog or something, but was rewarded with a fist to the face, breaking his nose and sending him flying.

"The fuck are you doing?! You wanna die, you little bitch!?" The smaller boy yelled angrily waving his fist at her threateningly.

Tatsumi twisted around with another snarl as her eyes slit in anger, and she was sure the boy got a glimpse of her claws as she landed a kick to his groin so hard that his eyes rolled back in his head, when the pain registered, causing his body flumped forward as he fell to the ground.

"Aaah! It's a monster!" One of the two girls screamed.

"Let's get out of here!" The other yelled.

However, before they could run away, Tatsumi grabbed the backs of their clothing and slammed them both to the ground facing the memorial.

"You call _me_ a monster? " Tatsumi said calmly. Her teeth were bared and her eyes shadowed menacingly. "Yet _you're_ the ones who destroy a grieving family's memorial. Why? "

"Oh come on!" One of the girls yelled as if she'd done nothing wrong. "If they really missed the brat they would've put down something more than an ugly-ass pot!"

Tatsumi was standing on their backs now, pinning them to the ground before she grabbed the two girls by the hair and forced them to look at the memorial.

"Let me get this _straight_. " Tatsumi said ominously. "You _destroyed_ a _memorial_ for a _dead_ little _child_ , because you thought the flowerpot was _ugly_?! "

The other girl whimpered, and the first one was frozen in terror as Tatsumi lifted a clawed hand seemingly towards her. She closed her eyes, but nothing happened as Tatsumi used her hands to gather the shards before puzzling them together. Once done, one pile showed the imprint of a small child's hand was clearly visible along with the name of the dead child. Another pile showed a much larger handprint, most likely from one of the child's parents.

"You see that?" Tatsumi said angrily. " _That_ is a _symbol_ ; a happy memory shared by a parent and their child, frozen in time. So while the pot may not be a piece of _art_ , it was made with _love_. This pot may be worthless to _you_ , but to the family who put it here, it is _invaluable_. "

Neither girl said anything. The other girl was sobbing, while the first one was wisely keeping her mouth shut, though whether it was because she'd realized what she'd done, or simply realized that mouthing off wasn't going to save her, Tatsumi didn't know.

"Say you're sorry." Tatsumi ordered.

"I'm sorry." The other girl whimpered sincerely.

Tatsumi let her go and she scrambled to her feet and ran away crying. However, the remaining girl hadn't said anything. Tatsumi pinned her harder to the ground, causing her to cry out in pain. "I didn't hear you." She growled.

"I'm sorry." The girl whimpered weakly.

"I can't hear you." Tatsumi growled.

"I'm sorry!" The girl said louder.

"LOUDER!" Tatsumi demanded.

"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!" The girl cried.

Tatsumi looked at her. "… Good enough." She said letting go and straightened up.

The girl didn't dare move at first, then she slowly glanced back only to be met with a glare that almost made her soil herself.

"Don't ever do it again." Tatsumi said ominously. "NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT OR THE NEXT MEMORIAL WILL BE FOR YOU!"

The girl screamed in terror and ran for her life.

Tatsumi was still fuming as the ghost of the little boy reappeared by the light pole, still crying. She forced herself to calm down, letting her eyes and canines to return to normal before she turned to the ghost and kneeled down before gently petting the boy on the head.

"Don't cry, little one." She said softly.

The boy sniffed and looked up at her with teary eyes, so she gave him a reassuring smile. "Wanna see a magic-trick." She asked.

The boy sniffed and nodded as he wiped his eyes. Tatsumi smiled and stood, pulling out her wand; 11 inches, Yew **(AN 1)** , with Phoenix Feather and a handle of red, jewel-quality obsidian with an avian design. A simple repairing-spell and the flowerpot was as good as new. The ghost was amazed and smiled as he hugged her, thanking her. Tatsumi smiled and ruffled his hair as she kneeled down to his level.

"Hurry up and go to heaven now, okay?" She said. "Your parents will worry about you if you stay here."

The boy blinked and frowned sadly. "But, then I won't be able to see them anymore." He argued weakly.

"You may be able to see them, but they can't see you." Tatsumi explained. "Isn't it better to know they're comforted by the thought that you're in a safe place? There are monsters coming by here every so often; I'm not sure if you've seen them."

The boy looked at the ground "I have seen them, but someone always comes and destroys them." He said. "Can't I stay here? Just for a little bit longer?"

"The longer you stay here the more likely you are to be found by the monsters." Tatsumi explained. She looked at his Chain of Fate; it was already disturbingly short. "Normally, I wouldn't say this, but your chain so short, I feel I have to warn you." She looked the boy straight in the eyes. "The monsters you see were once ghosts like you. The longer you stay here, the more your chain corrodes away, and, once it's gone, you become one of them."

"You mean…!" The boy exclaimed in shock. "Is that why there aren't any other ghosts around?!"

Tatsumi nodded solemnly. "Shinigami are normally very good at making sure ghosts pass on, but I bet you've been hiding from them, haven't you?" She teased slightly.

The boy blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry." He said. "I won't hide anymore."

Tatsumi petted him on the head again. "Would you like _me_ to help you pass on? " She asked.

The boy looked at her in surprise. "You can do that?" He asked.

Tatsumi smirked playfully. "My family's special." She said. "So, will you let me?"

The boy nodded. Tatsumi pulled out what at first appeared to be another wand, this one looking more like a miniature walking stick with a rounded head and a rather sharp looking wand-tip. Tatsumi gently tapped the rounded end on the boys' forehead, performing a perfect Konso, and sending the boy to Soul Society.

 **o000o**

"I'm home!" Tatsumi announced as she walked into the house, having removed her sandals already, and put on her slippers as her grandfather flew at her… literally.

"MY PRECIOUS LITTLE PRINCESS IS HOME SAFELY!" He yelled. "I WAS SO WORRI-*bam!*!"

Catching her grandfather's face with her foot, Tatsumi threw the man to the ground and walked right over him to join the rest of her family in the dining room.

"You're late, Tatsu-chan." Karin said in an annoyed tone. "You know how Goatface gets when you miss your curfew."

"Sorry, Aunt Karin." Tatsumi said sitting down by the table. "I had something I had to do."

"Another ghost or another group of punks?" Karin asked almost bored while Yuzu served dinner.

"Both." Tatsumi answered, taking the bowl of rice that Yuzu handed her.

"Speaking of ghost." Yuzu said pointing to something behind Tatsumi. "You have another one."

"Huh?" Tatsumi asked and looked over her shoulder to see the ghost of a man appear behind her. "Oh, you got to be kidding me!" She groaned and got out of her chair trying to chase away the ghost.

Karin rolled her eyes at the all too regular occurrence while the others shared sheepish looks; "Just like her father, ne Ichi-nii? **(AN 2)** " She teased her brother.

"DON'T WORRY, TATSU-HIME!" Isshin suddenly appeared out of nowhere holding a bottle of holy-water and a cross. "GRAND-DADDY WILL RESCUE YOU FROM THE MEAN GHOST!" He popped the cork of the bottle and started squirting it everywhere. "BEGONE SPIRIT!"

Nearly everyone shared an 'Oh boy, there he goes again'-look while Yuzu just smiled sheepishly and Ichigo face-palmed. "The guy's a captain-class Ex-Shinigami, and he _still_ does things like this. " He muttered.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

 _(London, Kings Cross, Platform 9 ¾)_

"Did you take your medicine, Tatsumi-chan?" Orihime asked her daughter as her husband was loading the girl's luggage into the baggage-compartment of the Hogwarts Express.

"Yes, mom, I didn't forget!" Tatsumi snapped half-heartedly as it was the tenth time she'd been asked that question. "I have it my shoulder-bag, and I'll just take another dose if I need it."

Having retained both her memories and her magic, her Motion Sickness had followed as well. Luckily, Kisuke was able to make a special medication for her.

"Remember to eat something as you do." Orihime cautioned.

"I will!" Tatsumi assured her. "Don't worry!"

Orihime pulled are daughter into a crushing hug. "Oh, my baby, I'm going to miss you so much!" She cried.

"Mooom!" Tatsumi whined, causing her father to laugh and ruffle her hair.

"Remember to write often, Little Dragon." He said grinning. "Otherwise your mother will raid the castle after the first week."

Tatsumi would've laughed, if not for the fact that her mother had nearly panicked after just three days when her older brother, Kazui, had gone to college; so instead she gave her father a deadpanned look. "I'm counting on you to keep her calm." She told him causing him to laugh even harder.

Tatsumi then spotted yet another familiar face. "That's…" She said and ducked out of her mother's grip and headed straight for a girl who had just arrived.

 **o0o**

Lily Moon was the only child born to an older couple, but, rather than bringing a long awaited happiness to her parents, her birth had been the end of their happiness. Her blue hair had sparked a rage within her father, whom had immediately accused his wife of cheating on him. Even after a blood-test confirmed she was _his_ child, the damage caused could never be repaired, and her mother had fallen ill and died while Lily was still very young. The Healers had never discovered the cause of the sudden illness, but some said her mother died from heartbreak, caused by being so violently rejected by her husband.

Discovering that she was a 'Returned', did nothing to help Lily's relationship with her father, especially seeing as she had retained the quirk of referring to herself in third person, and refused to lose her old name; Juvia. Lord Moon had eventually been forced to add 'Juvia' as a middle name for his daughter, adding to his bad mood. As a result, Juvia grew up with a father that was no better than a stranger; he rarely spoke to her, and he forced her to sit on the opposite end of the table, which was built for a large family, and she sat on the side so he didn't have to look directly at her. It made Juvia want to apologize to Lucy – who'd had a very similar childhood – for having been so mean to her.

Then, there was the rain. Not once, in this new life, had Juvia seen anything but rain or snow; reminding her of her past incarnation. She'd tried focusing on happy memories, hoping to lighten her mood and bring the sun out again, but every time she tried she was always reminded of the fact that she had lost everything that made her previous life happy. Her current life was, in some ways, even worse than her previous one had been, before she joined Fairy Tail. Her father never let her go beyond the manor-grounds, and she had no friends because her father restricted her so much. He knew she was the cause of the constant rain centered on their property, and it shamed him to the point where she nearly wasn't allowed to attend Hogwarts; he had wanted her to have private tutoring instead, but the man he had attempted to hire realized the connection between the rain and Juvia's depression, and convinced him otherwise.

That being said, Juvia was here alone. Her father was too 'busy' to escort her to the train. Juvia doubted he would've even told her where to go, and how to get there, had she not asked. She felt so lost. She didn't want a repeat of her previous childhood, but she had no idea how to avoid it; not with the rain that followed her. Maybe one of the professors would be able to help her? No healer had been able to, so far.

Suddenly, a pair of arms was around her; someone was hugging her, and her eyes widened as she recognized the pink hair. "Natsu-san…" She whispered in disbelief, and she was crying before it even properly dawned on her; she wasn't alone.

"It's been a while, ne Juvia?" Tatsumi said as the other held onto the girl for dear life.

"Juvia was so lonely." Juvia said between sobs. "Juvia really thought she was here alone."

"You're never alone." Tatsumi told her. "As long as you bear the Fairy Tail Crest; we'll be with you no matter where you are."

Juvia nodded and attempted to compose herself. She took the handkerchief that was offer to her by Orihime and dried her eyes.

"There." Orihime said comfortingly. "Are you okay now?"

Juvia sniffed, wiping her nose, and nodded before finally noticing something was different about her friend. "Natsu-san, you're…" She said.

Tatsumi raised an eyebrow and smirked in amusement. "Thanks for finally noticing." She teased, causing Juvia to blush slightly.

"You two should hurry up." Orihime said leading the girls towards the train, which was about to leave, though she did make sure to introduce herself and reassure Juvia that her luggage was already onboard thanks to her husband.

Tatsumi dragged Juvia to a nearby compartment and the two waved goodbye from the window as the train started moving. Once her parents were out of sight, Tatsumi again grabbed Juvia's hand and lead her through the train.

"Come on, let's go find Lyon." She said.

"L-Lyon…?" Juvia stuttered in surprise. She had _just_ warmed up to the thought of letting him court her, when they were killed, so the revelation that he was there with them made her heart beat just a little bit faster.

They found him rather quickly. He was half shielding a certain other blue-haired Fairy Tail Mage, dressed in a bright, orange summer-dress, against a pug-faced girl who was flanked by the two ugliest boys Tatsumi had ever laid eyes on.

"Dracie!" The pug-faced girl whined like a brat. "You can't possibly be choosing a blue-haired freak of a _mudblood_ over _me_!"

The hallway instantly froze over. "I suggest you watch your tongue before I freeze it, Parkinson." Draco said. His glare was absolutely frightening. "Don't forget; you lost a toe the last time you used that word in my presence."

"She's going to lose more than that if she uses it again." Tatsumi said, giving the girl an evil, fanged grin as she walked closer.

Flames danced in her eyes and in a flash, all the ice was gone, making the hallway feel more a sauna. The pug-faced girl screamed at the sudden change in temperature, her eyes wide in terror. Losing her smallest toe to frostbite was one thing, but being burned by _fire_ was another. Her precious hair could be singed, her perfect skin could be ruined, and her beauty could be permanently disfigured!

"Stay away from me, you fiend!" The pug-faced girl yelled, leaping away.

The two mini-trolls took this as sign to step in and cracked their knuckles ominously. Tatsumi just tilted her head as her grin widened playfully; an excited giggle escaped her, but she made no move towards them. The mini-trolls suddenly looked unsure; like prey sensing the presence of a predator.

"What are you two idiots waiting for?!" The pug-faced girl yelled, prompting the two mini-trolls to attack.

However, in a second flat, they were both on the floor. No one except Tatsumi had bothered to move, and not a wand was in sight. Seeing her two brutes on the ground, the pug-faced girl panicked.

"Just wait until I sic the prefects on you!" She yelled and turned to run, but instead she bumped right into one of said prefects; a Slytherin who was not amused by the thought of being manipulated by a bratty first-year who had yet to earn her place.

"And how, if I may ask, would a _first-year_ 'sic' a prefect on them?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"U-Um…" The girl stuttered frightened.

The prefect scoffed at her and turned to Draco. "Perhaps you can enlighten me as to how this started?" He asked.

"Parkinson doesn't agree with my choice of friends and decided to take offense." Draco said. "Then, she made the mistake of siccing her brutes on the wrong person."

"I could see that." The prefect snarked and returned his attention to Parkinson. "Because you're first-years, I can't take any points from you until you're sorted, but I will be taking note of your names so that your future Head of Houses can deal with you later. I recognize Parkinson, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, but not the others." He looked at the girl Draco had been shielding, silently asking her to introduce herself.

"Hermione Granger, Sir." The girl said bowing slightly to be polite.

"Muggleborn?" The prefect asked trying not to show his surprise. 'Granger' was not a wizard-name, yet a _Malfoy_ of all people was helping her.

"Yes, sir." Granger said.

The prefect studied her, but quickly noticed Draco's glare and wisely chose to move on. Like Granger, the other two girls introduced themselves without a verbal question.

"Tatsumi Kurosaki." Tatsumi said eyeing him; she hadn't liked the way he had looked at Levy, and she was silently daring him to say something.

Juvia was far more polite. "Lily Juvia Moon, Sir." She said bowing politely.

"Kurosaki?" The prefect repeated. "As in…"

"That's right." Tatsumi said dismissively.

The prefect wisely changed the subject. "Very well." He said. "I take it the four of you will behave yourselves?" It wasn't really a question, but Draco nodded anyway. "Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle; the three of you will come with me."

As the three were led away, Draco opened an empty compartment and the others went inside. 'Levy' and Tatsumi took the window seats and Juvia sat next to Tatsumi. Closing the door behind him, Draco pulled out his wand – 10 Inches, 'reasonably springy', Hawthorn with Unicorn hair and a silver handle – and threw up some privacy wards to make sure they weren't disturbed. He then took the seat next to 'Levy'.

"Well, that was interesting." A new voice said, causing everyone but Tatsumi to tense.

Instead, Tatsumi greeted the ghostly image that had joined them. "Hey Maggie." She said happily.

 ** _Magic_** smiled at her and returned the greeting, causing the others to relax in realization that the woman was a friend. "I'm sorry for scaring you, Young Ones." **_Magic_** said. "However, I felt I should explain myself to you for tearing you away from your previous lives before your time."

"I was wondering why we all remembered." Draco said. "Are you a God then?"

 ** _Magic_** smiled. "Not quite, Little One." She said. "I am **_Magic_** , a Divine Power, and we are much different from Gods. Normally you would not be able to see me, aside Tatsu-chan, who carries the blood of a Soul Reaper, and hence able to see my ethereal form. To show myself to the rest of you, I have projected an image of magical energy."

"So, what is it that you want with us?" 'Levy', now Hermione, asked. She was not happy to have been killed shortly after her wedding day.

"Tatsu-chan will be able to give you the details of your mission, so I will keep this short." **_Magic_** said. "Little over a century from now, mundane technology will reach a point where it is capable of detecting magic, and the wizard world _will_ be discovered. Unfortunately, the wizards' views on Mundanes will make it rather impossible to maintain peace, and a war will break out; a war that will not end until the planet is left barren of all life. _That_ is what you need to prevent."

In shock, the three turned to Tatsumi, hoping that it was a joke, but Tatsumi's serious expression told them otherwise.

"How?" Juvia asked. "How are we supposed to prevent such a thing?"

"By changing the wizard world while there's still time." **_Magic_** said. "Magic is not supposed to be divided by something as ridicules as 'Light' and 'Dark', everything has a balance to it and wizards are destroying it by using such idiotic terms. Magic is not good or evil; it's all about _intent_. Wizards are ignorant, both to their own nature, and to Mundanes; both of those have to change."

"Is it really that bad?" Hermione asked nervously.

Draco scoffed. "Wizards seem to lack anything remotely resembling common sense." He said. "Truth is, many neutral or light wizards who claim to be pro-muggles are so ignorant that they think muggles are cavemen still. They think muggles are no more intelligent than apes, and therefore no possible threat to wizards whatsoever."

"And it's that mentality that made wizards so hostile in the future." **_Magic_** said. "Having those beliefs so utterly and thoroughly shattered had frightened them. They went from believing they were on the top of the food chain, to realizing they were at the bottom of it; and people like your father weren't taking that news sitting down."

"But, why _us_?" Hermione asked. "I mean; I can understand why Natsu was chosen, but why _me_?"

"Because of the roles you're playing." **_Magic_** said smiling at her before she motioned for the group to look around at each other. "What do you see when you look at each other?" She asked. "Fellow mages. People who died defending the future Queen of Fiore. You see friends and colleagues, though not all off you are from the same guild, nor are all of you human, but, to you, that has no say. But, what does the _outside_ see when they look at you?"

 ** _Magic_** motioned to Draco. "You have a _pureblood_ from a _Dark_ family." She said, then motioned to Juvia. "You have a _pureblood_ from a _Neutral_ family." She then motioned to Tatsumi. "You have the _half-blood_ 'Girl-Who-Lived', a beacon of _Light_ and savior of the wizard world. And, finally." She motioned to Hermione. "You have a mundaneborn witch who knows nothing of the wizard world. A witch at the bottom of the food-chain."

"All walks of life." Hermione summarized in realization. "One from every category in which wizards have divided their people."

 ** _Magic_** nodded. "In addition, you each have been put into a role where you are able to make a difference." She said. "Draco's father was, and will be again in the future, the Dark Lord's right-hand man. Tatsu-chan has the people standing behind her, awaiting guidance. Hermione will be a source of inspiration for other mundaneborn witches and wizards. And Juvia, is your shadow; a guard that is invisible, listening and watching."

"You're saying the Dark Lord isn't dead?" Draco asked shocked.

"He is not." ** _Magic_** said. "Though he is not quite living either. Right now he is possessing one of your professors at Hogwarts, but do not act on this just yet. The outcome of the war is not your concern, though it is a factor. Your job is to show people that there is no such thing as light or dark; the world consists of shades of grey. Unfortunately, this means that both Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore are now your enemies, and both need to be neutralized for you to succeed. Albus Dumbledore is fated to die before the war fully breaks; an event that will demoralize the wizard world unless you can prevent it. In previous timelines, Dumbledore's death caused many to give up fighting, and as a result many died, leaving their _children_ to take their place on the battlefield."

"That's terrible." Juvia said horrified.

"So, basically we're entering the war as a third side fighting against both the light and dark." Draco summarized. "Changing the wizard world will be easier if _we're_ the ones that come out as the victors of the war, but how do we do that without getting people killed?"

"You cannot save everyone." **_Magic_** said sadly. "But, you can give them a choice to fight. In previous timelines, the Final Battle of the war is fought on Hogwarts grounds. With the exception of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix, the fighters were all students, battling against Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. There were no Aurors, no back-up from the rest of the wizard world; just inexperienced students of Hogwarts against experienced murderers; many who had fought in the last war, after which they had their hearts frozen in Azkaban."

"So, we need to take control of the students." Draco said. "That won't be easy."

"It will be easier than you think." **_Magic_ ** said proudly. "Many events will come together to act in your favor; your defense professors especially due to the Curse on the position. I advice you to take advantage of this as soon as possible. Once the students are loyal to _you_ ; changing the world will be easier. Future Ministers will be in that school along with future Aurors, Healers and Teachers; and _you_ will be there to show them the way, just by being yourselves."

"But, how will we reach all the houses?" Hermione asked.

 ** _Magic_** smiled. "Think about it." She said. "Which house will _you_ be in? The girl who loves books and enjoys studying for fun. Which house will the ambitious ice-prince be in? Or the loud, brawl-loving girl? And what about the girl who values friendship above all else?"

"One in each house, huh?" Draco said smirking. "That'll be interesting."

 ** _Magic_** returned the smirk, but was forced to leave shortly after, leaving Tatsumi to answer questions. The revelation that they would be allowed to return to Earthland once their mission was complete, significantly lightened their mood, but being back in time was confusing; seeing as their past selves were still alive, and would be for years. Conflicted, they discussed the battle that had killed them, and what the consequences were if they interfered. The most important one being completely ruining **_Magic's_** plan by preventing their own deaths; which they all agreed they couldn't do, no matter how much they wanted to. Their mission was too important; after all, the **_Divine Powers_** wouldn't have gone through all the trouble if it wasn't.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** Tatsumi's wand is a _Twin_ to Voldemort's; this is because I think Yew (at least what I read from Ollivander's notes on Wand-woods) fits her character better than Holly.

 **2)** The Japanese "ne" translates as "right?", "huh?", or "isn't it?"; it can be put at the end of a sentence to create sort of question. It can also be used where one would say 'you know?' or 'don't you think?' as it essentially asks for agreement or confirmation.


	5. Chapter 4 - Hogwarts

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter 4 – Hogwarts_**

"Tatsumi-chan, I've been meaning to ask." Hermione said as the group sat and enjoyed the candy and sandwiches which they had bought from the food trolley just a short while ago. She had switched seats with Juvia who wished to see the sun for the first time, in this life, now that the rain was gone. "Are you taking any medications for your Motion Sickness? You haven't gotten sick yet."

Tatsumi nodded, having just taken a big bite of a chocolate frog. "Already existing ones don't work because my Motion Sickness isn't a physical illness, but my Godfather is an inventor so he was able to make a medication that cures magical side-effects." She said after swallowing, and bent down to reach her shoulder-bag, which was on the floor, as she sat with crossed legs on her seat. She then pulled a bottle of pills to show everyone. "They actually cure other side-effects too, like from potions or spells."

"That must be a relief." Hermione said smiling.

"You have no idea." Tatsumi said grinning widely. "In fact, on my first time using them I had my face plastered to the car window, 'cause I've never been able to do that before."

Suddenly, the hood of Tatsumi's sweater started moving, and Kaito popped his head out before he crawled out and scampered down into her shoulder bag where he found her bento (lunchbox) and jumped onto the seat. Tatsumi took the bento as he offered it to her, obviously wanting her to open it, and she fed him the fried shrimp that had been packed for him.

"Is that a Niffler?" Draco asked surprised.

Tatsumi nodded. "His name is Kaito." She said.

Draco gave her a deadpanned look. "You named your Niffler 'Thief'." He stated.

"I thought it was fitting." Tatsumi said standing by her choice in name.

"He's so cute." Hermione cooed. "But, are you allowed to have him? The Hogwarts-letter only mentioned cats, owls, and toads."

"Bonded familiars are welcome." Tatsumi explained. "You can also apply for other animals, but you have to prove you're capable of taking care of them properly."

"That makes sense, I guess." Hermione said. "Cats and owls are able to take care of themselves, and toads are usually kept in terrariums; so they're easier for first-years to handle."

"Are you able to keep him in check, though?" Juvia asked finally sitting down properly in her seat. "Nifflers are known to steal things, after all."

"They are?" Hermione asked.

Tatsumi nodded. "They're known treasure-hoarders and are extremely attracted to shiny stuff." She said. "Kaito is trained though; I mean, he'll pick up anything he finds, but he knows the difference between 'finder's keeper' and pick-pocketing. That being said he's also mischievous, so I can't guarantee he won't sneak into other people's stuff, but he's trained to bring everything he gathers to me, so I can sort through it, and I plan on hanging 'Lost and Found'-notices around the castle."

Tatsumi grabbed her shoulder bag and pulled out a folder from which she pulled two sheets of paper. One was a 'Found'-list, the other was a 'Lost'-list; both had a picture of Kaito on them and encouraged people to look for, or add, items they had lost. "These have the Protean-charm on them so they update as people write on them." She said. "They also have a charm that removes items that are marked out; to signify that it's been found and returned to its owner."

"That's actually really clever." Draco said. "A lot of people won't be happy to know there's a Niffler in the castle, but these will hopefully keep things peaceful when things go missing."

"Do you have more of these?" Juvia asked. "Since we already know we'll be in separate houses; we can hang them in the common-rooms tonight."

"I have copies for every House, plus a few extra." Tatsumi said. "I had a similar system going on at home, because Kaito would always bring back stuff; so I've gotten pretty good at it by now."

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the compartment door, and it opened to reveal a girl their age, with red hair held in long, high pigtails, blue eyes, and dressed in Mundane clothing; a white t-shirt, a grey pleated skirt, black stockings that reached her thighs, and knee-length, black boots.

"Tatsumi!" She said slight scolding. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, Sue." Tatsumi smiled apologetically. "But, I did tell you I was going to look for someone."

"Yes, but I thought you were going to find _me_ afterwards." The girl said. "So, this them?" She asked looking at the others.

"Yup!" Tatsumi said. "This is Draco, Juvia, and Hermione." She then turned to the others. "Guys, this is Susan Bones **(AN 2)** , she's the niece of one of my Godmothers, and a childhood friend of mine. She _knows_ , by the way, if it wasn't obvious already."

"I think that was plenty obvious." Susan said smirking. "Anyway, I have to get back to Hannah. She volunteered us to look for someone's toad. Yuck." She shuddered. "I'll see you later."

 **o000o**

Before long, the Hogwarts Express reached its destination and the students, old and new, were already dressed in their uniforms. While the older students made their way to the carriages, a large, hairy man with kind face and a lantern, gathered the first-years. Tatsumi, however, was starring at the carriages as they walked passed them.

"Is something wrong, Tatsu-sama?" Juvia asked.

"No." Tatsumi said. "Just wondering why they're using Thestrals to pull the carriages, that's all."

"What are Thestrals?" Hermione asked looking over. "I don't see anything."

"I do." Draco said calmly.

"Juvia as well."

"Thestrals can only be seen by those who have seen death." Tatsumi explained. "I'm actually surprised you can't see them; having survived a _war_ and all. "

Hermione blinked and frowned in thought. "Guess I've been lucky **(AN 1)**. " She said lowly.

The group then followed their peers as the large man, named Hagrid, led the first years down to the lake where a number of small boats were waiting for them.

"No more than four to a boat now!" Hagrid said.

Tatsumi, who was wearing the pants instead of the skirt, easily got into a boat and helped Hermione, who was trying to hold her skirt in fear that she would trip and have it fly up higher than she would like. Meanwhile, Draco was helping a more elegant Juvia into the boat with considerably more success.

"Everybody in now?" Hagrid asked. "Forward!"

The boats started moving on their own, and, about halfway across the lake, Hagrid found a toad that was apparently named Trevor, and belonged to a boy whom Draco identified as Neville Longbottom. The boy was sitting in a boat with Susan, and a blond girl named Hannah Abbott. There used to be another boy with them at first, but he kept pulling Susan's pigtails, so she decked him, and he ended up in the water.

"Neville's a nice kid, but he was stunted by his bitch of a grandmother." Draco explained lowly. "The woman is so obsessed with her son, that she's forcing Neville to use his father's wand, which doesn't even match him."

"But, that's going to damage his spell-performance isn't it?" Hermione asked outraged.

Draco nodded. "Madam Longbottom won't listen to reason." He said. "I doubt even Ollivander could convince her."

"That's terrible." Hermione said disapprovingly.

Then, the castle came into view. All the windows were lit to make quite an impressive sight, which caused the first-years to look upon it in awe. Shortly after, several boats were bumped from beneath. At the same time, a large tentacle burst from the water, splashing everyone and scaring the students half to death.

"Nothin' t'e be afraid off, kids!" Hagrid yelled, trying to calm everyone down. "T'is just the Guardian of t'e Lake checkin' ye out!"

"It's probably us who's caught its attention." Draco said. "Our magic is different from the rest, so it must have made it curious."

"Then, maybe Juvia can…" Juvia said thoughtfully, and dipped her hand into the water and focused her magic to relay her feelings to the Giant Squid, reassuring it that they weren't there to cause any harm. The guardian lifted one of its tentacles up to her hand and she gently stroked it before the guardian returned to the bottom of the lake, satisfied. A minute later, the boats reached shore, and Hagrid led everyone up to the castle, then up some stairs to where a stern-looking, older woman was standing in front of a pair of large doors.

"T'e firs'-years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid I will take it from here." The woman, McGonagall, said and turned to the students as Hagrid left. "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend your free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I will return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She then walked through one of the doors closing it behind her.

"Is it just me, or does Porlysica have a twin?" Tatsumi joked.

Juvia giggled. "She certainly looks like her, doesn't she?" She agreed.

Professor McGonagall returned maybe ten minutes later, and led them into the Great Hall. Walking inside they could see four very long tables running the length of the hall, parallel to each other, and a long staff-table at the back of the hall that was perpendicular **(AN 3)** to the other four. The roof was enchanted to mimic the weather outside, and Professor McGonagall led everyone to the podium where she stopped next to a stool with a rather tattered old witch-hat that… burst into song?

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

Tatsumi was dumbfounded. "That can't be normal." She said.

"Depends on your definition of _normal_." Draco said calmly.

Hermione hushed both of them. "Be quiet, they're about to start." She said.

As Professor McGonagall started calling up names to be sorted alphabetically, Tatsumi looked at the staff to size-up her professors. The Headmaster was smiling a grandfatherly smile, and the chair to his right was empty while a greasy-haired man, who looked as if he'd just eaten something foul, occupied the one to his left. Tatsumi also noticed that several ghosts had appeared and sat amongst the students. She then turned back to McGonagall just in time to hear Hermione's name being called. Hermione straightened her skirt and took a deep breath as she walked up to the stool. Hermione squeaked in surprise as the hat was placed on her head, and after a while it spoke.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Relieved, Hermione removed the hat and headed over to the table under the blue and bronze-colored flag. However, as she walked, he gave her friends a 'look', as if warning them of something.

"Kurosaki, Tatsumi!"

Tatsumi very loudly corrected the professor's terrible pronunciation of her name as she walked up to the stool. As the hat was placed on her head, she mentally jumped as she felt something brush up against her mental walls. Though she showed no visible sign of surprise, she was rather shocked to learn the hat could enter her Inner World.

 _/I cannot sort you if you do not let me in, young one./_ The hat spoke to her telepathically, but received a warning growl from Ryūjin Jakka. _/Oh my!/_

 _/Ryūjin is very protective of me./_ Tatsumi said. _/Had you entered my mind without my consent he would not be gentle with you. I will allow you to enter, but I suggest you watch your step./_

 _/You have my word, young one./_ The hat said seriously. It took another five minutes to decide. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Tatsumi ignored the cheers as she sat down, but she repeated the warning look Hermione had given them, to let the others know something was up with the hat. Draco gave her a nod; he'd figured it out by now.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Draco was quickly sorted into Slytherin, being the fastest to be sorted so far.

"Moon, Lily Juvia!"

Juvia remained elegant as she walked to the stool and was rather quickly sorted into Hufflepuff, where she sat down next to Susan, who introduced her to Hannah. The sorting continued and, when the last student had been sorted, the Headmaster stood with his grandfatherly smile still present. "Welcome!" He said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few worlds. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

 _"Crazy might be an understatement with this guy."_ Tatsumi thought.

 **o000o**

After the students had eaten, and the food had vanished, Headmaster Dumbledore once again stood to address the students. "Now that we're all fed and watered, I have a few announcements to make." He said. "First-years should be aware that the forest is forbidden for all students. Though some of our older students should do well in remembering this as well."

Tatsumi watched in horror as the man's eyes twinkled in the direction of a pair of identical twin boys sitting at the Gryffindor-table.

"Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has also asked me to remind everyone that it is not allowed to perform any magic in the hallways during recess." Dumbledore continued. "Quidditch-tryouts will be held during the second week, and everyone interested in trying out should contact Madam Hooch. Finally, I must inform you that this year the third floor corridor is off limits for anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

 _"He did_ not _just say that."_ Was a thought that went through several heads in the Great Hall, and many eyes traveled to the same red-haired twins that Dumbledore had looked at earlier.

"And now, it's time for the school-song!" Dumbledore said happily, but you could tell the other teachers were not looking forward to this.

Dumbledore flicked his wand, and out shot a long golden ribbon that rose high above the staff-table where it coiled like a snake and formed words.

"Everyone choose their favorite melody." Dumbledore said eagerly.

Sensing danger to her sensitive hearing, Tatsumi covered her ears as the Great Hall roared into a chaotic mess of sound. No one finished at the same time, and, in the end, the red-haired twins were the last to stop singing, as they had chosen a funeral-marsh as their melody of choice.

"Ah, music." Dumbledore said drying his eyes "A magic beyond anything we teach here at Hogwarts. Now off to bed with you."

Tatsumi and her fellow first-years followed one of the prefects, another red-head, out of the hall and up the stairs. They passed numerous moving portraits, which pointed and whispered at them, then they passed through two doors hidden by a sliding-panel and a thick curtain. Then came the stairs, followed by more stairs, and more stairs, before they suddenly stopped. In front of them were a floating bundle of walking-sticks, and, when the prefect took a step towards the walking-sticks, they threw themselves at him.

"Peeves." The prefect growled. "Show yourself!"

The reply was a loud fart that made Tatsumi chuckle.

"Don't make me get the Bloody Baron!" The Prefect threatened.

 ** _*Plopp!*_**

The ghost that appeared was a small man with dark, evil-looking eyes and a wide mouth. He floated in the air with crossed legs, the walking-sticks laying in his lap. "Oooooo!" He said cackling evilly. "Itsy-bitsy firsties! How fun!"

Suddenly, he dived towards them, causing everyone to duck, except Tatsumi. She had noticed that the ghosts seemed frightened of her presence, and she figured this one would be no difference. She was proven right when the poltergeist slammed on the brakes with a startled 'eep!'. Tatsumi grinned evilly at him, promising a world of pain if he didn't bug-off. He didn't have to be told twice, in fact, he didn't even have to be told once, as he quickly fled, dumping the walking-sticks on the prefect, and crashing into several suits of armors on his way.

"You watch out for Peeves." The prefect told them, regaining his composure as he continued leading them towards the Gryffindor-dorms. "The Bloody Baron is the only one who can control him, he won't listen to us prefects."

Finally, they came to a stop in front of a large portrait at the end of a hallway. "Password?" The portrait of a plump woman dressed in pink asked.

"Caput Draconis." The prefect said, and the portrait swung open to reveal a round hole in the wall.

Tatsumi helped the Longbottom-boy through the opening and the students found themselves in the common-room. Here they were introduced to the other prefects, and got a speech regarding the rules before they were sent to bed. The bedrooms were in the towers, and Tatsumi shared a dorm with all the other first-year girls. The four poster-beds were equipped with dark red, velvet curtains and their trunks were sitting at the bottom of the beds. Kaito was in his pet-carrier on top of Tatsumi's bed, and was eager to be let out. Tatsumi did so and removed the top of the carrier, so Kaito could use the bottom as a bed. Being tired and full of food, the girls quickly changed into their night-clothes and said 'good-night', but Tatsumi wanted to get her posters up before going to sleep so, after changing into a yukata, she picked up Kaito and her posters, and walked back down into the common-room.

Little did she know of the impression she was about to make on the older students of her house.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 _This chapter contain some things I looked up on the internet. (McGonagall's Speech, The Sorting Hat's song, and Dumbledore's Announcements.)_

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** I actually haven't read the manga very far (and I haven't watched the Anime further than the Eclipse Arc) so I have no idea if I'm correct in this despite using the wiki quite a bit. I know Gajeel had a close call, but I can't remember reading if she's actually seen anyone die. Tatsumi is a Shinketsu so it'd be weird if she couldn't see them, and I have other excuses for the other two, which I won't mention to try and avoid spoilers of future chapters.

 _Also, for clarity's sake, this story takes place some time_ after _the Alvares War._

 **2)** I added in this scene as I realized that Tatsumi should be a lot closer to Susan than what I had previously written, seeing as how Amelia is Tatsumi's Godmother, and would've definitely been an active part of Tatsumi's life. I also know that Hannah is actually the one with the pigtails, but I switched it to fit how I picture Susan.

 **3)** As English isn't my first language, I sometimes use the wrong words and this used to be one such example. I had previously used the word 'vertical' to describe the position of the staff-table and had to look up the right word after I realized my mistake.


	6. Chapter 5 - A Life-changing Mistake

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Five – A Life-changing Mistake_**

Tatsumi had a bad start at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. By her second day in the castle, the first day of term, she had sent no less than six people to the Hospital Wing before lunch. The first one had been the male, fifth-year Prefect that had escorted the first-years to the dorms last night. He had been very vocal about his dislike for Kaito, and had refused to believe he was a bonded familiar before attempting to take him away from her. Prefect or not, the prat wouldn't be having any kids in the future, unless the School Nurse could work miracles.

The second one was the prat's younger brother, who had been talking to his older brothers as she came downstairs, and then laughed as 'Percy' was crawling out the door in an attempt to get to the Hospital Wing. Tatsumi had told him off, as you're not supposed to laugh like that when your _family_ gets hurt. The next morning the idiot had been acting like they were best friends, and Tatsumi had walked into the common-room to hear him bragging about how she had supposedly begged him to go on a date with her. Needless to say; her reaction had said otherwise, and the idiot got a Hospital-bed next to his brother. Then, there was the starring; people whispered about 'the Girl-Who-Lived' from the moment she stepped out of dorm-room, and stood on their toes to see her better. They waited outside her classes to get a look at her, and turned around to pass her for a second time in the hallways.

However, the other four people she sent to the Hospital Wing were not any of these 'Fan-ghouls', as she called them, but rather people who had decided that directly harassing her was a good idea; three of which being Puggy and the two trolls who had harassed Hermione on the train. The fourth was actually one of her professors, Potions-professor Severus Snape, who had targeted her right of the bat, trying to embarrass her by asking her questions that weren't even in the course-book. When that hadn't worked, as she had actually taken quite the liking to potions during her tutoring, he had switched to using Legimancy; he slipped past her mental walls with such skill that, before she could react, he was already inside. Luckily, Ryujin Jakka had been on him instantly, and had nearly ripped him apart. To the students it had looked as if he had spontaneously combusted while his robes and skin was shredded. Tatsumi had stopped Ryujin before he could do any lasting damage, but the dragon **(AN 1)** had still been furious as he retreated into her Inner World.

Then, she got called to the Headmaster's office where she got yelled at by her Head of House, and basically told she had attacked Snape unprovoked. She got a 'slap on the wrist' for it from the winking Headmaster, but Tatsumi was fuming that Snape was being let off without punishment, and that _she_ was blamed for _his_ act of Mind-rape! She disappeared down into the kitchens and sent a Hellbutterfly to her parents. After lunch, she skipped classes and went outside to find a place where she could meditate and spend some time playing with Ryujin to get them both into better moods. She found the 'Whomping Willow' and was able to subdue the violent tree with her Reiatsu, allowing her to climb up to a nice thick branch where she snuggled up against the trunk of the tree. Ryujin's heat embraced her as she slipped into her Inner World, and she remained there until she was disturbed.

"Potter, get down from there immediately!" Snape yelled at her. His skin was pink from the healed burns and you could still see where his skin had been shredded. Headmaster Dumbledore and the Gryffindor Head of House, Minerva McGonagall, was there as well.

She didn't respond to him, she never did when someone called her 'Potter', and stretched a bit before leaning back with her arms behind her head, as if she was going to take a nap.

"Miss Kurosaki, this is not acceptable!" McGonagall yelled.

Tatsumi rolled her eyes. "This coming from a teacher who thinks it's acceptable for students to be mind-raped." She said darkly. "Excuse me, if I don't trust you with my well-being."

McGonagall actually seemed to flinch at that.

"Now, now." The Headmaster said trying to calm everyone down. "I'm sure this was all just a misunderstanding."

 _/Try saying that to my face./_ Ryūjin snarled, making Tatsumi scoff loudly.

"My spirit-guardian begs to differ, _professor_." She said mockingly and landed a glare at Snape. "He's daring you to say that to his face."

The greasy-haired man paled, but refused to back down. "I don't know what kind of monster you're possessed by, Potter." He yelled. "But as soon as we've exorcised that thing I'll…" He never got to finish that sentence as he and the others were slammed to the ground by an incredible pressure.

"Correct me if I'm wrong here." Ichigo said stepping out of a pair of Shoji-doors. "But that sounded an awful a lot like a confession and a threat, all in the same sentence."

"Dad!" Tatsumi cheered and Shunpo'ed to her father's side where her frantic mother immediately pulled her into a crushing hug.

"Oh my baby, you must have been so scared!" Orihime fretted. "Don't worry, baby, your daddy's going to take care of that terrible, terrible man!"

Ichigo, in the meantime, was livid as he was in full Bankai-gear, pointing his sword to Snape's throat. Kisuke was there as well, and he wasn't smiling.

"Did you think." Ichigo said glaring at Snape. "That just because her biological parents are dead, that the laws would not apply to her? My daughter is a Japanese citizen, _Professor_ , which means your life is now forfeit."

They'd drawn a crowd now.

"My daughter has spent less than a day in this School, and my husband and I are tempted to withdraw her this very moment." Orihime said angrily. "She has been nothing but harassed the entire day and then she was mind-raped by a professor! And _you_ , you blamed _her_ for _defending_ herself!?"

"I-I'm sure t-this is just a m-misunderstanding." Headmaster Dumbledore said stuttering slightly from the pressure.

"Witnesses say otherwise." A new female voice cut in.

It was Amelia Bones. Behind her stood Draco, who had been present during the incident with Snape, his Godfather.

Amelia walked closer as Ichigo loosened his Reiatsu significantly. "I know this is a sensitive matter for you and your family." She said carefully. "But may I ask you to put down your sword?"

"According to ASS Law." Kisuke started as Ichigo wasn't moving. "This man, having forced himself upon a Noble Japanese Family-member, a female one at that, is ours to do as we please. The only way we can spare his life, is to have him bound to the family as a servant."

McGonagall gasped in shock; she and Headmaster Dumbledore had been able to stand as the pressure decreased.

"Certainly we can come to some sort of compromise?" Headmaster Dumbledore said.

"Even _our_ laws state that it's the laws relevant to the citizenship of the _victim_ that dictate the fate of the accused." Amelia said angrily. "And, while _British_ law may be lenient on Legimancy-matters; the laws of the ASS are not. Legimancy performed without consent is just as serious as sexual assault; in which case the Head of the victim's family has every right to execute the perpetrator."

"And seeing as he confessed, albeit indirectly, I can kill him right here and now." Ichigo said.

"Unfortunately, there no witnesses to this so-called confession." Headmaster Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he thought he had found a way to, at least, delay the situation.

Amelia frowned as she recognized that look in the headmaster's eyes, but before she could ask the crowd if this was true, someone beat her to it.

"Juvia heard everything." A girl said.

"And who is Juvia?" Amelia asked the girl.

"Juvia is Juvia." The girl said, much to Amelia's confusion.

"Juvia refer to herself in third person, ma'am." Draco explained.

"I see." Amelia said. "Tell me what you heard, Miss…."

"Moon, Lily Juvia Moon." Juvia introduced herself. "Juvia is a friend of Tatsu-sama, so Juvia was worried about Tatsu-sama when she didn't show up for class. Juvia, Hermione, and Draco came outside to look for her and we heard Professor Snape yelling. Draco went inside to contact the DMLE after Tatsu-sama accused Professor McGonagall of _allowing_ students to be Mind-raped. Meanwhile, Hermione and Juvia stayed outside. We heard Tatsu-sama mentioning her spirit-guardian, and that was when Professor Snape threatened to have her spirit-guardian exorcised. He called Tatsu-sama's guardian a monster, indicating that he had _seen_ it, which he could only have done if he was, in fact, inside Tatsu-sama's mind. Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were standing right next to him, so they both heard it as well."

At this, Amelia glared at Dumbledore before turning to Orihime and Tatsumi. "What is this guardian, if I may ask." She asked.

"Family-magic." Orihime said. "My husband's family carries a second consciousness within their mind, protecting them. Tatsumi's guardian is a dragon of fire, which explains the injuries that bastard sustained when he encountered it."

"I'll happily manifest mine if you wish for a demonstration." Ichigo said, his eyes never left Snape however.

"You can manifest your guardian?" Amelia asked shocked, then shook her head. "I'll take you word for it. My Aurors will be gathering witness-statements, and I cannot stop you from performing your right, though I do ask that you wait until the students are escorted inside."

"Surely you don't have to _kill_ him?" McGonagall pleaded.

"There is a way." Kisuke said, now smiling behind his fan again. "However, this man will forever be bound to the Kurosaki-family in a similar manner to how you people slave-bind your House-elves. Most people prefer death to such a fate."

At this, Tatsumi whispered something in her mother's ear, causing the woman to laugh. "Oh that's a _wonderful_ idea, sweetheart!" She said cheerily, then walked over to her husband and whispered into his ear, causing him to grin as if he was mimicking his Inner Hollow.

"It's been decided." Ichigo said, still grinning. "I won't kill him. Hell, I'll even let him keep his job."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "A generous decision." He said.

Amelia, however, was confused, but given the terrifying grin Ichigo was sporting; she realized that what they had planned for the man was much, much worse than death. Meanwhile, Severus Snape was sweating bullets, but had wizened up and kept his mouth shut so far, hoping Dumbledore could get him out of this mess. Now, despite the urge to yell and struggle, he remained quiet in absolute fear. He didn't want to make things worse.

 **o000o**

Severus was collared **(AN 2)** ; bound like a house-elf and forced to magically obey orders from members of the Kurosaki-family. He was also magically unable to kill himself. He was currently in Japan, bound to a chair and alone in a room at the Kurosaki House-hold. He had no idea what was awaiting him, but Lord Kurosaki's sadistic grin didn't bode well.

A light made him look up, and his eyes widened in shock as a pair of Shoji doors materialized in front of him and opened. The light was blinding, then a figure stepped out. The pressure in the room intensified, but this was a magical pressure, unlike before. However, Severus about had a heart-attack when he was finally able to see the face of the person who had stepped into the room.

"Lily?" He breathed.

Another person stepped into the room, a man who was equally as enraged as his wife. A man Severus had never seen without a goofy grin, which made his furious expression even more menacing.

"Hello, Severus."

 **o0o**

 _(Back at Hogwarts)_

"I can't believe a professor would do such a thing!" Hermione snarled. The group was in the Hospital Wing as the School Nurse insisted on examining Tatsumi. "And he did it right in front of the class too!"

"Are you sure you're alright, Tatsu-sama?" Juvia asked.

"I'm fine." Tatsumi reassured her. "Ryujin pushed him out before he could do any damage."

Tatsumi was sitting in a Hospital Bed and the privacy curtain, with inbuilt privacy-wards, had been drawn around them because people kept stopping by to see her.

"What exactly are your parents doing with him?" Draco asked.

Tatsumi grinned evilly. "I suggested they let my biological parents decide what punishment he'd get." She said

"Oooh, that's gonna hurt." Draco said; he almost felt sorry for the man, almost.

"Yeah." Tatsumi said slowly. "Ironically he told me that himself, but for some reason he chose to attack me afterwards."

"How so?" Draco asked.

"The first question he asked me." Tatsumi said. "He asked me what I would get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood."

"Oh!" Juvia exclaimed. "In Victorian Flower language, asphodel is a lily that means 'my regrets follow you to the grave'. And wormwood means 'absence or bitter sorrow and regret'."

Tatsumi nodded. "In other words he bitterly regrets the death of Lily Potter." She explained with a sigh. "And then he goes and screws everything up. He seemed to take offense by the fact that I answered the question, then started firing off more questions that were way above first-year level, and then he got pissed because I was able to answer those too."

"But why let the guy keep his job?" Hermione asked. "That man shouldn't be _anywhere_ near children."

"Embarrassment probably." Tatsumi said shrugging. "Kisuke wasn't kidding when he said Snape would basically become a House-elf by western standards. He'll be forced to wear a magical collar that forces him to obey any order given to him by a member of my family."

Juvia turned to Draco. "How do you feel about all of this, Draco-san?" She asked. "I understand he's your Godfather."

Draco nodded. "He is, but he also stepped way out of line when he attacked a student." He said. "I would've thought my friendship with Tatsu would've caused him to back off his hatred for James Potter, and give her a chance, but apparently I was wrong."

"Why does he hate James Potter?" Hermione asked.

"They've hated each other since their school-days." Draco explained. "From what I understand, Potter was a bully and a notorious prankster."

"So he's projecting that hatred over on _me_?" Tatsumi asked. "What's _that_ going to achieve? Aside turning him into another bully?"

Draco could only shrug.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

That following Friday, Tatsumi was visited by a beautiful Snowy Owl as the mail was delivered at breakfast. The owl dropped a letter from Mr. Hagrid.

 **¤ _Hello._**

 ** _I know we haven't been properly introduced, but I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the Groundskeeper, and I was the one who escorted all you firsties over the lake. I was also a good friend of your parents, so if you ever want to talk, I've got tons of stories._**

 ** _I'd like to invite you over at tea to get to know you better. Do you have time after classes today? I heard you had a rough start here at Hogwarts, are you okay?_**

 ** _By the way, Happy Birthday! I know it's a bit late, but I had planned on buying you a present on the day. Dumbledore informed me that I would be escorting you to Diagon Alley that day, but I understand there was a change of plans. Anyway I saw this beauty in the pet-store and thought she'd be perfect for you. I'm talking about the owl of course, but she doesn't have a name yet._**

 ** _I hope to hear from you soon._**

 ** _Rubeus Hagrid._**

Feeling the headmaster's eyes on her, Tatsumi wrote a short reply. ¤ ** _Hagrid, mind if I bring my friends? We could all use some time to relax. And thanks for the owl, she's beautiful. I promise to get her a good name. I'll see you this afternoon. Tatsumi Kurosaki._** ¤

She handed it to the owl. "Take this to Hagrid for me, will you?" She asked. "I'll find you a good name soon."

The owl bobbed her head as if nodding and flew off. Tatsumi made mental note to order some owl-treats, and some other things for the owl, when she had the time. She had to wonder what Hagrid meant by how he was supposed to escort her to Diagon Alley, but decided she would talk to him about it later.

 _"I really need a way to talk to the others."_ Tatsumi thought. _"I already know the Protean Charm, maybe I can add it to a book or something; it's more discreet than a cell-phone."_

 **o000o**

"You think you can manage it?" Hermione asked as the group made their way down to Hagrid's hut. Tatsumi had just brought up the idea she had earlier. "The Protean Charm is supposed to be NEWTs-level."

"I didn't have any trouble with the posters." Tatsumi said shrugging. She had found Kaito snooping around by the entrance hall and was now carrying him like a baby. "Strangely I can do the really difficult stuff rather easy, but I'm having to focus more with the easy stuff."

"Given how much magic you have, I'm not surprised." Draco said. "Most wizards struggle to gather enough energy for the higher-level spells, but you have so much of it that it's no problem. Instead you need to hold back when doing lower-level spells or you'll overpower it and cause it to blow up in your face."

"Seamus Finnegan has the same problem." Tatsumi said smirking. "Hasn't gotten the hang of the channeling yet so he always get frustrated and blows himself up."

"Is he the boy who made that explosion in the Great Hall the other day?" Juvia asked curiously. "What was he trying to do?"

"He was trying that children's rhyme that supposedly makes water into rum." Tatsumi said. "He actually managed to make some weak tea the day before, though he strikes me as the type who _likes_ blowing things up, so who knows; he might be doing it on purpose."

When they reached the hut, they were met with the smell of freshly baked goods, and the sound of a very excited dog. Hagrid opened the door wearing a pink apron and oven-mitts, and had one hand holding the collar of a large dog that was eager to meet them. "Welcome!" The giant man greeted them. "Come in, come in! Yer jus' in time; I jus' got my famous Rockcakes out t'e oven. By t'e way, is tha' a Niffler ye got there?"

The moment he let go of the dog it tackled Draco, but only because Tatsumi was in front of him and stepped out of the way.

"Yup!" Tatsumi said smiling, ignoring what was happening behind her. "This is Kaito, my familiar."

"Ye sure ye can handle 'im?" Hagrid asked curiously as he plated some of the cakes onto a tray and put them on the table that had settled around. "Tricky creatures they are."

"I've had him since I was little." Tatsumi explained. "I've built my own 'Lost-and-Found' business because of this guy."

Meanwhile, Draco was finally able to push the dog off and take a seat as he wiped the slobber off his face. He also glared at Tatsumi, who just smiled at him sheepishly, as he knew this was her fault.

"Nice t'e know if I found somethin' missin'." Hagrid joked and took a seat. "Well, go on. Don't be shy; have a cake."

They each took a cake and Tatsumi sniffed it before taking a bite.

 ** _*Crunch!*_**

She was the only one able to eat a piece.

"Merlin, how strong teeth do you have?!" Draco exclaimed.

"Very." The girls chorused. Dragon Slayer had very strong teeth.

"I can see why you call them 'Rock'-cakes, Mr. Hagrid." Hermione said putting the cake back on her plate.

"Jus' call me 'Agrid." Hagrid said. "None of tha' Mr-stuff."

"Hagrid can I ask you something?" Tatsumi asked. "I understand the Headmaster tried making some arrangements on my behalf for my birthday, but I never heard anything about that. Frankly, I find it creepy considering the first time the Headmaster and I met, little along spoke, was in his office during the first day of term. I don't like the way he looks at me either."

Hagrid looked shocked. "Is tha' right?" He asked. "Well, Dumbledore told me he'd been in touch with ye for years. **(AN 3)** "

Tatsumi frowned. "Did he now." She said. She sighed and pulled her cell-phone out of her pocket.

"That won't work here." Hermione said.

"It's not a mundane phone, Mione." Tatsumi told her. "My Godfather made it, it works just fine."

"Now, wha's tha' contraption there?" Hagrid asked curiously.

"Think of it as a portable Floo, except you don't light it on fire, or stick your head into it." Tatsumi said. "You can talk to, or send messages to others with it."

"It's a Muggle invention, but they seize to function in areas with a heavy magical environment, like Hogwarts." Hermione explained. "But I'm not sure I understand why this one does."

"It was made by a genius who's examined magical energy to the point where he's able to counteract the adverse affects it has on electronics." Tatsumi explains. "Besides, if it was really true that magic affects electronics _that_ severely, then London would have major dark spots in the areas where Diagon Alley, the Ministry, and St. Mungos are located."

"Oh." Hermione said realizing she was right. "So the adverse effects aren't as bad as they're made out to be? Or, at least, it can be shielded against?"

Tatsumi nodded, and turned her attention back to her phone. "I'm sending a message to my dad; if Dumbledore has been telling people stuff that's not true I want to make sure none of it made it to the newspapers." She said.

Hagrid wanted to say something to defend the Headmaster, but he'd read enough newspapers to know the girl had issues with people talking about her in the media when they didn't even know her. "So, how'd ye four meet?" He asked trying to change the subject. "Ye don't see many students stayin' t'gether after bein' sor'ed in different 'ouses."

"The four of us are 'Returned'." Draco explained. "Basically it means we've retained portions of who we were in past lives, though it's rare for people to have more than a few traits and a few memories here and there. _We_ , however, remember _everything_."

"We knew each other in our previous lives, so it was natural for us to stay together." Juvia said.

"Ye don't say." Hagrid said shocked. "Tha' must be strange for ye; reliving puberty an' all tha'."

"We'll manage." Hermione said. "Well, most of us. Tatsu was male in her past life so I'm sure this will be a new experience for her."

"Not really." Tatsumi said shrugging. "I was present to watch Erza go through pretty much everything, so I know what to expect; why else do think she was so nonchalant about being naked around us."

Hermione gave her an awkward smile. "I forgot." She said sheepishly. "Erza really had no decency about that."

"It's got to be hard for _you_ though, Mione." Juvia said sadly. "You'd just gotten married."

Hermione smiled sadly and rubbed the spot where her wedding-ring had been. "Yeah." She said lowly.

Tatsumi put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You'll see him again." She said.

"But will he want me?" Hermione asked tearing up slightly.

"Of course he will." Tatsumi said confidently. "You think a man like Gajeel will fall for just anyone? Sure, you're a bit _young_ at the moment, but you won't be underage forever. Besides, like dragons, we Dragon Slayer's mate for life; you know that. He'll love you for as long as he lives. "

Hermione smiled and hugged her. "Thank you." She said.

The group wasn't able to stay much longer as dinner was right around the corner, but promised to visit again soon. As dinner was formal, they were forced to sit at their house-tables and it didn't take long before a certain red-haired first-year found himself wobbling out of the Great Hall with a wedgie pulled over his head, much to the amusement of the other students. When asked later, Tatsumi said the idiot had tried to kiss her after proclaiming them soul mates due to their similar appetites. Tatsumi had also gotten a new appreciation for her mother's teachings after watching the pig eat with a complete lack of manners which were, disturbingly, not very far off from how her own lack of manners had been in her past life. She also had to wonder why no one had ever bothered to do anything about it, to which Hermione replied that no one wished to loose a hand.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 _Thanks for the reviews._

 _A lot of people are following this story and has favorited it so I've decided to write this message in response to one of my reviews._

 _Firstly, I've added a warning about the genderbending to the Authors' Note and I wanted to say thanks for letting me know that I'd forgotten it. I'm quite inexperienced so I do miss and forget a lot of stuff. So, if you find any mistakes feels free to give me a heads up._

 _I know the genderbending wasn't necessary, but I don't feel very confident in my writing and have a big problem in making my characters all sound like the same person. I don't feel comfortable writing a male main-character at the moment, so I'm sorry if that turns some of you off._

 _Because of my social anxiety, I tend to overcompensate with my main-characters, and it gives me a lot of emotional obstacles since I feel anxious just by receiving a notification of a favorite (which I've now hopefully turned off in the Alert-settings). Putting my stuff up here is stressful, especially because I feel like I'm going to disappoint a lot of people, but I do appreciate any advice you like to give me. I won't change the story or my plans for it unless I really get inspired or realize I've made a huge mistake or something though; this is somewhat of a personal training for me since my social anxiety does prevent me from doing a lot of things I wish I could do, because I'm too scared._

 _Therefore, I really hope you can be patient with me for all the mistakes and the confusion. Like all my stories, this one will be a constant work-in-progress and hopefully it'll get better over time._

 _Thanks again for the reviews, even if it's just a few of them (which honestly suits me just fine), and I hope you have a nice day._

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** Ryujin Jakka isn't really a dragon, but sentient flame. I do imagine him as something similar to Atlas Flame though, so in this story he's a dragon.

 **2)** I have no excuse for this; it's one of those things that happen when I get into a mood to write and the words just seem to come automatically… and then, every once in a while, things get weird.

 **3)** Sorry if the accent is inconsistent and/or wrong; I have no idea how to write accents, but figured I'd try.


	7. Chapter 6 - Halloween Troll

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Six – Halloween Troll_**

By the time Halloween came around, Hogwarts would never be the same. Students and teachers alike were starting to realize that getting on the bad side Tatsumi Kurosaki was a _really_ bad idea. The Slytherins had learned relatively fast that the Dragoness of Gryffindor was going to walk right into their common-room as she pleased, but not before nearly half the upper years had gotten at least one trip to the Hospital Wing after the initial confrontation, started by a certain trio of first-years. The rest had wisely kept their mouths shut after Draco curiously asked how she had gotten in; to which she had casually responded that she simply asked the snake in the portrait nicely. The implication that the Girl-Who-Lived was a _Parselmouth_ was enough to cause many to reconsider their opinions of her, especially after Tatsumi made it perfectly clear that she didn't give a rat's ass about their personal views, but if they tried to use said views as an excuse to hurt people; there was going to be trouble.

It was a warning the Slytherins had taken to heart, and the fact that Draco – whose family-name practically made him royalty in the House – hadn't lifted a finger to stop Tatsumi during the initial confrontation, but had rather used his wand to defend her against _his own housemates_ , had made quite a strong impact. Not because he put himself at risk by showing his allegiance, but because he did it when it wasn't even necessary, as if daring them say something. No one had; after all, it hadn't taken the older students very long to notice that the 'Returned'-group was made up of the powerhouse from each House. As far as their classes went, the group was at the top of their year, and further ahead than most O.W.L.-level students.

Hermione, the Muggleborn, was already fluent in runes and had impressed even Ancient Runes Professor Babbling; in fact, out of all the Ravenclaws in Hogwarts, Hermione was often referred to as _the_ Raven. And, while Draco's talent for ice magic had been known for years, earning him the title of 'Ice Prince' from a very young age, Tatsumi's skill in fire magic was even more impressive, as fire-spells were notoriously difficult to control even for the most powerful of wizards. Her immunity to the flames – something that was completely unheard off, as Fire-proofing-spells didn't work on living beings – is what gave her the nickname 'Dragoness'. Meanwhile, Juvia was nicknamed 'Shadow-badger', due to her stealth-skills… seriously, people were honestly creeped out by how she was practically invisible even with blue hair. Hermione was impressed as well, being an infiltration expert herself, so all those years of stalking Gray had actually paid off. Of course, the years spent moving around without 'disturbing' her father had only enhanced her skills; something that left Tatsumi with a burning desire to take her 'Fire-dragon's Claw' to the man's backside.

Professor Snape had returned during the second week and had ignored Tatsumi in class ever since. He had also improved his teaching-methods, and has started treating the students fairly, if only because he was ordered to… and because James and Lily were bound to hear about everything he said and did. He was also to report to Ichigo every week, and was to keep an eye on the Headmaster, who, despite being aware of his situation, seemed to be under the impression that Snape could simply quit his new 'job' whenever he pleased; in fact, he had ordered Snape to stay and spy on the family. However, Snape was not only magically incapable of betraying his Masters, but also unable to inform the Headmaster of this fact. Draco had no sympathy for the man; Snape only had own stupidity to blame after all. It was also another reason why the Slytherins backed off so quickly, as not even their own Head of House could help them.

Unfortunately, the Returned's relationship with their housemates had also taken a turn for the worse before people had finally learned their lessons. The Gryffindors had been the worst; nearly two thirds of the _entire_ house had learned the _hard way_ that Tatsumi was going to hang out with whomever she wanted; and if she wanted to spent time in the so-called 'Slimy Dungeons' then she was damn well going to. Most of the lions had backed off relatively quickly, but there were a few – namely Percy and Ronald Weasley – who had not quite gotten the message despite constantly being told off by the rest of the House, who were tired of Percy deducting point for _every little thing_ , and was, as a result, officially ruining their chances at the House Cup. Meanwhile, it was made perfectly clear – to anyone but Percy – that Tatsumi couldn't care less, in fact, she appeared to take great amusement in riling the prat up.

Seriously; their house-points where in the negative already.

The Ravenclaws had made the mistake of targeting Hermione; showing off their worst traits out of jealousy early on. Two girls in particular – Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe – had tried to break into her trunk – which had luckily been booby-trapped from the first day because Hermione had picked up on the hostile competitiveness – and spent the night in the Hospital Wing for their troubles. As revenge, the two had then snuck into her dorm-room at night and tried to hex her, only to end up spending an additional night in the Hospital Wing, and getting detention for a week after Hermione had dragged their assess to their Head of House's living-quarters at 4.30 in the morning.

The Hufflepuffs hadn't been nearly as bad as the other three houses, but even Juvia had people harassing her about spending time with a Slytherin. The last time someone had confronted her about it, she had ended up making a loud speech that put all her housemates to shame. Hufflepuff was the House known to take in _anyone_ ; that meant they were the House of _Acceptance_. They took in those who were cunning, yet unfit for Slytherin because they weren't pure enough. They took in those who were brave, yet unfit for Gryffindor because they were too cautious to rush into things without thinking. They also took in the bookworms who were unfit for Ravenclaw because they weren't competitive enough. Yet _certain people_ can't accept their own Housemate's acceptance of others? It was pathetic!

However, the steps towards unifying the students were already being taken, and it had started during the second week of term, during flying lessons. The Gryffindors had the class with the Slytherins, and Neville had broken his wrist by falling off his broom. The Rememberall he had in his pocket had fallen out as well, and was picked up by Parkinson, who had no intention of giving it back. Tatsumi had confronted the girl and both had gotten onto brooms. Parkinson had tossed the Rememberall towards the castle-wall, fully intending for it to shatter, but Tatsumi had been faster and was able to catch it before it struck the wall. Professor McGonagall had seen the entire thing from her office though, and instead of punishing Tatsumi for flying without permission, she had dragged her to meet with the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch-team.

However, as soon as Tatsumi had heard the word 'Seeker', she had flipped out. She had told them both straight to their faces that she was sick of the special treatment, and would _not_ be joining the team until the next year. She had been appalled by how much she had been allowed to get away with, and this was the last drop. Unfortunately, the message didn't seem to sink in, as the Headmaster had proudly announced her as the new Gryffindor Seeker at dinner, to which there had been great applause from her house… until her magic started flaming around her in anger. She stood on the table and had loudly repeated what she had told McGonagall earlier. She had yelled at the Headmaster that unless he would allow _all_ first-years to join their respective teams, then she wouldn't either. She had _not_ agreed to take the position to begin with, and had no intention to join the team until the _rules_ said she could try out for it.

Tatsumi hadn't stopped there though; she had asked the students how many of them thought it was fair that she hadn't been given a _single_ detention despite how many people she had sent to the Hospital Wing. And it wasn't just the Headmaster that was the problem; the other teachers were _adding_ to said problem. Tatsumi wasn't the only one who had less House-points taken from her than certain others; the Slytherins were so overly punished for the simplest things, that Snape was _forced_ to _overcompensate_ to bring them back to an even level with the other Houses, something Tatsumi had fully given him permission to do after finding out about it. To make matter worse, just the day before, the Weasley-twins, whom Tatsumi actually _liked_ , had gotten ten point deducted for a prank _she_ had later _beaten them up_ for being potentially dangerous. Yet the Slytherin that had been their _victim_ was deducted _twice_ that amount for spending half the next class trying to wash the foul-smelling gunk out off his robes. Said gunk contained an ingredient that a lot of wizards were allergic to, and that fact was even established by Snape, but was _ignored_ by the other teachers! Had this student instead gone to class, the fumes coming off his robes could've triggered an allergic reaction in one or more of his fellow students… actually, _forget_ the students! The _professor_ of this particular class was _known_ to be allergic to this substance, and you'd think that at least _she_ would be thankful that the student didn't show up until he'd been able to wash it off!

What had made the biggest impression on the students, however, was when Tatsumi turned to her Head of House and challenged her to give her the detention she deserved, but was clear to mention that trying to give her anything less than a day's detention for every students sent to the Hospital Wing would only prove her point. McGonagall had, reluctantly, given her what she wanted, and Tatsumi had told her she forgot to add in the events earlier that day, when she had disobeyed Madam Hooch's order to stay on the ground. Madam Hooch had been quick to add that she had wanted to give Tatsumi a week of detention for the potential danger she put herself in, but the Headmaster had overruled her. When Tatsumi then asked who she'd spend her detentions with, Headmaster Dumbledore had told her she would be spending it with Professor Snape which, to the students, only proved Tatsumi's point.

Later that same day, Parkinson had strutted up to Tatsumi as the group were studying in the library, promptly challenged her to a duel at Midnight, and then strutted off without waiting for a reply.

"She can't be serious." Hermione said. "If you're caught, she'll be punished too."

"I don't think she's planning on going." Draco said. "She not only ignored the rules of Dueling, but her smirk made it obvious that she was trying to set Tatsu up."

"I don't know." Tatsumi said unconvinced. "Parkinson doesn't strike me as the type of girl who doesn't follow up on her threats; she's too vindictive for that."

"What are you going to do?" Juvia asked slightly worried.

Tatsumi smiled, showing her fangs. "Shinigami can't be seen even by wizards." She said playfully. "So I think I'll watch what Parkinson does when I don't show up."

 **o000o**

"Are you sure she'll show up, boss?" Goyle asked.

The trio was currently waiting in the hallway outside the trophy-room where the duel was to take place. They weren't too badly hidden, but they weren't being quiet, which made them easy to find.

"Of course she will, you idiot!" Parkinson yelled. "And when she does you two will slam the doors and trap her in the room while I go for Filch. She'll be busted outside curfew and humiliated when the rest of the Gryffindorks discover how many points she's lost."

Meanwhile, Tatsumi was sitting on a nearby windowsill in her spirit-form. She was leaning against one side, while her legs were propped up against the other side. She was also wearing Yoruichi's old keisen-uniform, and had Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, in her lap. The dust-colored cat was very much her owner's cat; one foot out of line and she was speeding off to find Filch, who seconds later would appear seemingly out of nowhere. The cat had taken a strange liking to the 'Returned', however, much to Draco's dismay, as she seemed to like him the best.

"But aren't the Gryffindors already losing?" Crabbe asked confused. "I heard they had minus points."

"Which just mean the loss will sting even _more_." Parkinson said confidently. "Now be quiet! She'll be here any minute." She leaned around the corner to peek towards the trophy-room doors.

"But won't she leave when she sees you're not in there?" Goyle asked.

Parkinson swore, realizing he was right. "Ok, listen up you two." She said turning towards her trolls. "Change of plans; we all go into the room and wait for her, then, when she's inside you two grab her while I leave, close the doors, and go for Filch like we planned. You two keep her there until I get back, understood?"

"Sure, boss." The trolls chorused.

Tatsumi smirked at the opportunity and got off the windowsill. She put Mrs. Norris on the floor before walking over to the doors of the trophy-room and saw Parkinson clearly, but not the trolls. She assumed the two were hiding behind the open doors. Tatsumi grinned evilly, grabbed the door-handles, and slammed the doors shut. She then put her hand flat on the wooden surface and erected a Kyomon-barrier just behind the doors before the trio could grab onto the handles in an attempt to get out. The barrier would prevent them from getting out, but would shatter easily when the doors were opened from the outside. Mrs. Norris had already sped off to find Filch, and Tatsumi knew Parkinson would use every excuse in the book when they were found, but with Kit – her personal mod-soul – in her body, and asleep in bed, she had nothing to worry about. So, she decided to go exploring for a bit.

She had refrained from going to the third floor after the Headmaster's warning during the Welcoming Feast, but she had heard rumors from other students who had snuck in before her; about a monster. Actually, she had heard Ron Weasley plotting to himself about how he was going to trick her in there with the monster, and he would then come in like a hero to 'rescue' her, so that she'd fall madly in love with him. She could smell a dog, or some sort of canine, as soon as she phased through the door to the third floor, which wasn't even locked, so she followed the scent. The door she was led to was locked, but not magically as she couldn't feel any magic from it; a simple 'Alohamora', a first year unlocking spell, would've opened it easily. Inside, she could hear something _big_ moving around, and though she only smelled one dog, she could _hear_ three.

 _"They're not stupid enough to put a Cerberus in there, are they?"_ Tatsumi thought, but curiosity got the better of her and she phased her head through the door to see.

It was a Cerberus all right; a puppy at that. These creatures were hard to control even as fully trained adults, and having a puppy around _children_ , behind a door that might as well be open, was just unbelievably stupid. Even Shinigami weren't stupid enough to mess with these creatures, as they were highly spiritually aware and, at one point, they were guardians of the Gates of Hell, preventing souls from escaping. Tatsumi wondered briefly if she should go inside to see what the beast was guarding, but this one wasn't trained by Shinigami, and probably wouldn't recognize her as one, given that humans raised it.

When the Cerberus finally picked up on her presence, and turned towards her, she braced herself, ready to pull herself back through the door quickly, but the beast never showed any signs of aggression towards her; just tilting its heads and sniffing at her before letting out a low, curious bark. Blinking, Tatsumi tilted her head in response, causing the Cerberus to bark at her excitedly with its tail in the air, wagging like a propeller. She looked at the Cerberus for a minute, then shrugged and phased fully through the door; a few hours of play wouldn't hurt, even if her mother would kill her if she found out.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Parkinson and her trolls lost all respect from their House after their little trip to the trophy-room. Not only was she caught by Filch, but she was also outconned by a _Gryffindor_ to boot. The trio had also lost a significant amount of points, much to the disgrace of their House who, until then, had been in the lead, but was now second to Ravenclaw by over 20 points. Hermione's birthday had come and gone as well. She had received brand new Gale-Force reading glasses from Tatsumi, as she had been very vocal about how she missed her old pair. She had also received a new Quill from Draco made from a tail-feather of a Hyacinth Macaw, as she had complained about the poor quality of the set she had bought in Diagon Alley. Finally, she had received a silver replica of her wedding ring from Juvia, who had noticed the girl missing it dearly, and had a habit of rubbing the spot where her ring should've been. Hermione had cried when she saw the ring, and had not taken it off since.

Then came Halloween, and the Halloween Feast, where the usual deserts were joined by a ton of different candies that the students could stuff their pockets with. Actually, some of the Gryffindor Prefects had held a pumpkin-carving class before the feast, in an attempt to rebuild the morale of the house, and those who had participated had made their own 'trick-or-treat'-buckets that they were filling with candy during the feast. Tatsumi, who was sitting with a Weasley-twin on either side of her, and was otherwise surrounded by the Gryffindor Quidditch-team, was only half listening to the conversation as she had noticed Juvia was missing. At the same time, she was also keeping an ear on Ron, whom the twins had warned her about earlier. They had told her he was up to something, and she figured today was when he was going to try and trick her up to the third-floor at some point. Right now, the prat was busy stuffing his face, and pockets, with as much candy as he could though.

Tatsumi had participated in the carving-class earlier, and had made a basket for Draco, Juvia and Hermione. Juvia wasn't at the feast, however, so Tatsumi was collecting sweets for her. She had a good idea of what Juvia liked, like the hard raspberry-flavored candies, and what she didn't like, like marzipan. Juvia also liked treacle-tart; so Tatsumi had a couple of slices wrapped up for her.

Suddenly the doors slammed open and Professor Quirrell came running in screaming frantically. "TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!" He stopped about halfway to the staff-table. "Thought you ought to know." Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted.

While the students panicked and started screaming and trying to run, Tatsumi locked eyes with Draco, who had also noticed Juvia wasn't in the Great Hall.

"SILENCE!" The headmaster yelled, silencing the terrified students and stopping them in their tracks. "Prefects, please bring your students back to your dormitories. The Professors and I will take care of the troll."

"ARE YOU CAZY?!" Tatsumi yelled. "The Slytherin dorms are _in_ the dungeons, not to mention the thing has probably moved by now, _if_ this isn't just some stupid Halloween prank! Sending _any_ student out of the Great Hall will only put them in danger! And what about the students that are _already_ out there?! Did it not cross your mind to send someone to go look for _them_? I know of at least one Hufflepuff who is out there with no warning of the danger!"

Before Dumbledore could say anything, Deputy Headmistress McGonagall beat him to it. "She's right, Albus." She said. "Prefects! Please gather your students and DO NOT leave the Great Hall until we've given the 'all clear'. There will be a message sent over the speakers shortly to warn any students not present! Please stay as calm as possible until we return!"

 **o0o**

Juvia wasn't feeling well. The cramps weren't that bad, but she had lost her appetite and hidden in the girls' bathroom on the first floor, hoping for some peace and quiet. Tatsumi had showed her how to get into the kitchens, but she really didn't want anyone to make a fuss over her. She was avoiding her dorm for the same reason. She just needed some private time to deal with a few things. For one, she really missed her mother. The first time she went through this, she at least had the female staff at the orphanage to lean on, and going through it a second time wasn't any less emotional. She didn't want to talk to the other girls about it either.

Secondly, she had received no response from the letters she had sent her father; making her wonder if he was even bothering to read them. Juvia smiled as she entertained the thought of letting Tatsumi know; the girl would surely send him a Howler or something. Although Juvia and Natsu had never been that close in their past lives, Juvia had come to lean on Tatsumi since that day on the platform. She had also come to realize that she had, at least subconsciously, held a great respect for Natsu, and how he always lifted everyone's spirits, and how he always protected everyone. However, she had always looked at him from the sidelines, and often what she saw was an immature idiot. A part of her couldn't understand why people seemed to flock towards him; she couldn't understand why Gray could stand him, little along call him a friend and teammate. Now she did. Tatsumi was such a bright light; Juvia saw that now, and she could understand why people were so attracted to her. Tatsumi still retained an aura of a protector, and for people living in the dark; it was irresistible.

Juvia had noticed she wasn't the only one who had realized this either. A lot of kids from Dark Pureblood families were having a hard time here; being children of known Death Eaters or blood-purists, and some of those children came from bad home-environments. Tatsumi had made it clear that she didn't care _who_ you were, or who your _parents_ were. She didn't care about how much money you had, how much money your parents made, or what jobs they had. She didn't care about the type of blood in your veins, or what your family looked like. She stood up for anyone, against anyone; regardless of who insisted they were in the right, or what reasons they had for picking on others. That alone helped unifying the students, starting with young students of all houses coming to her hoping that the bullies would leave them alone, or just simply asking for help with schoolwork without being called stupid. As a result, they were meeting other kids from other houses, and making friends they otherwise wouldn't have made.

Older students were seeing their group as a breath of fresh air. Prefects had students coming up to them and telling them about things the other houses were doing, that maybe their house could do as well. Like how the Ravenclaws had the opportunity to buy notes from older students who had graduated or just didn't need them anymore. Or how the Hufflepuffs had a reward-system for little things, like making your bed in the mornings, where they earned points depending on how well the beds were made, and for doing other small chores as well. They also got points for how well they did on their school-assignments, and the students could then exchange the points they've earned for small rewards; a piece of candy, a brand new quill, or other neat things. Students could even donate items, like spare Chocolate Frog Cards, to be sold as rewards.

In addition, Tatsumi's little 'Lost-and-Found'-business was blossoming as well. Not only were the other first years loving Kaito, but students would give him things they'd found around the castle when they encounter him. They would also give him treats and feed him under the table during dinner. In return, Kaito has, surprisingly, learned to recognize individual students, and is now able to return lost items on his own. In fact, he had come into the bathroom a little while ago to return an earring Juvia didn't know she'd lost, and was now curled up in her lap offering comfort.

 ** _*Sound of the speakers turning on.*_**

"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS! THERE HAS BEEN REPORTS OF A TROLL INSIDE THE CASTLE; DO _NOT_ LEAVE WHERE YOU ARE! PROFESSORS WILL BE SEARCHING FOR STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE GREAT HALL, AND WILL ESCORT THOSE STUDENTS TO SAFETY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE THE TROLL SHOULD YOU ENCOUNTER IT; IF THE TROLL FINDS YOU BEFORE A PROFESSOR CAN GET TO YOU, YOU ARE ADVICED TO RUN AND HIDE. DO _NOT_ ENGAGE THE TROLL. REPEAT; DO _NOT_ ENGAGE!"

 ** _*Sound of the speakers turning off.*_**

Juvia didn't know what to make of the announcement.

 _"Surely, it's just a Halloween-joke?"_ She though, knowing the ancient wards wouldn't allow it.

Still, she had to follow orders and stay put, but then the shaking started. Being a water-mage, she was extremely sensitive to vibrations in the ground, especially due to her water-body, and she could tell something _big_ was walking towards her. She realized there actually _was_ a troll inside the castle, and walked into the last stall to hide. She kept her hand on the floor, tracking the footsteps, and prayed that the troll would just walk by the bathroom she was in. It didn't; it stopped right outside the door, and Juvia knew the thing had smelled something that had caught its attention. Whether it was her, Kaito, or the bathroom-smell itself, she didn't know, but the door was suddenly smashed open and the beast walked inside.

It was Mountain Troll, and it was dragging a huge club, which it used to smash the first two stalls. Juvia didn't make a sound, but Kaito panicked and struggled out of her arms and fled. The troll smashed a sink trying to hit Kaito, but the Niffler was too fast and was out the door before the troll could raise its club again. Juvia wondered for a moment if the troll would follow Kaito, but, though clearly disappointed at loosing a potential meal, the troll stayed and continued smashing things in anger. Juvia narrowly escaped when the stall she was in was smashed. She still had problems converting her body into water; though she had regained her invulnerability, she struggled at changing shapes in her water-form. She figured it was because her physical body was still immature, and she was relieved when she was able to change into a puddle of water, which she could then move out of the bathroom and around a corner before she changed back into human-form. She wondered if she should try and keep the troll in the bathroom somehow, but a group of professors came running before she could do anything.

"Miss Moon, are you alright." McGonagall asked seeing how pale she looked.

"Yes, Juvia is fine." Juvia said. She was still shaking. "It's in the girls' bathroom."

"Head straight to the Great Hall, Miss Moon." Sprout said. "We'll take care of the troll."

"Yes, Ma'am." Juvia said and ran.

She found another two first-years on her way and brought them with her to the Great Hall. Juvia then sat with her friends and waited for the teachers to return. She smiled as Tatsumi handed over the candy-filled pumpkin she had saved for her, but was too upset to eat anything.

"How _did_ a troll get side the castle? " Hermione whispered. "Aren't there wards to prevent such things?"

"Quirrell probably let it in." Draco said trying to ignore the cat on his head. As Mrs. Norris had also been locked in the Hall with the students by Filch – so she wouldn't get eaten by the troll – she had chosen him as her current napping-spot, and would dig her claws into his scalp if he tried to remove her. "He 'woke up' as the first group of students was escorted back to the Great Hall, and I doubt he joined up with the other professors."

"He didn't." Juvia confirmed.

Draco shook his head. "What was he thinking?" He asked. "If he wanted a distraction, it would've been much more beneficial to pretend that he was fooled by a joke. Once the troll is taken out, the distraction is over; the professors would've wasted far more time looking for a non-existing threat."

"Not to mention he wouldn't have to explain how the troll got in afterwards." Tatsumi said. "And speaking of the wards; isn't the headmaster supposed to be in tuned with them? Shouldn't he have been alerted to the troll long before Quirrell 'discovered' it and ran for the Great Hall?"

"I believe some of the wards may have been deactivated." Hermione said seriously. "Those same wards should've alerted him of any possessed individuals inside the castle, yet he's doing nothing about Quirrell."

"I don't think they're deactivated." Draco said equally serious. "Dumbledore must simply be ignoring them, and since they're active he can keep an eye on what's going on inside the castle, and play along."

"What about McGonagall?" Tatsumi asked. "She's the Deputy, isn't she?"

"And Head of Gryffindor House." Draco reasoned. "It wouldn't surprise me if the headmaster had convinced her to leave their shared duties to him alone, to lessen her work-load."

"With the Terror Twins around, that's certainly possible." Tatsumi admitted.

The teachers returned only 15 minute later, and the students were encouraged to continue the feast. To help calm them down, the teachers let the students sit where they wanted, since a lot of students had siblings in other houses and could use the reassurance after the day's events.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**


	8. Chapter 7 - The First Move and Christmas

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter Seven – The First Move and Christmas Holidays_**

Quidditch; the only sport seemingly worthwhile in the Wizard-world. So, while the weather turned icy cold, the Quidditch-season was starting up for full at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. First match of the year was played at 11 AM, and it was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. The match started off normally – or about as normal as any competition between these particular Houses could anyway – and Tatsumi and Draco had opted to sit in the Hufflepuff section of the stands with Juvia and Hermione. Draco, for one, didn't want his housemates' snarky comments and insults to ruin his mood, while Tatsumi simply didn't have anyone to sit with, as every Gryffindor she was somewhat friends with was currently in the air. She also didn't want a certain redhead to get any ideas if he found her sitting alone. The group was sitting in the last row in the back, hoping for some privacy.

"So the books are ready?" Draco asked.

Tatsumi nodded. "It took me longer than it should have, though the answer came real easy once I found it." She said. "I realized space would be a big problem, so I wanted the writing to disappear after a while, but still be available for later. Then I realized that Magical Diaries and Journals have exactly the type of spells I was looking for, already built-in; so all I have to do is add the Protean."

"Clever." Draco smirked.

The most high-end and expensive Diaries on the market came with a variety of protective spells that would work perfectly for what they had planned. In fact, they had so many spells on them, that they were considered semi-sentient, and on that long list of spells, was a spell that made the ink disappear, yet the writing was 'saved' and could be read later on, even if the same page was written on multiple times. It allowed the user to use the diary for many years, and at the same time keeping the content safe from others. Adding the Protean Charm to such a book was a stroke of genius, as it would allow them to communicate without the danger of anyone snooping around **(AN 1)**.

"I also added a nice alert-spell that makes the keys vibrate if there's a new message." Tatsumi said grinning. "Just keep them around your necks at all times. Oh, and I also added a spell that allows private conversations. Just write the name of the person you want to talk to at the beginning of every sentence; otherwise we all get to see it."

"Won't the professors scold us for writing in our diaries in class?" Juvia asked.

"Not if they're glamoured to look fancy leather-back notebooks." Hermione said smugly. That was her idea, after seeing many classmates using them, and saving their parchment for the hand-ins.

"How long do you think you need?" Draco asked.

"I've already ordered the diaries, so they should be here in a week." Tatsumi said. "It'll take me at least a full day to work on them after that; less if Mione helps with the rune-work."

"WATCH OUT!"

Tatsumi looked up just in time to see the Bludger speeding towards her, and was able to grab the edge of the short wall behind her, pulling herself into a handstand as the Bludger smashed through the wooden structure, right where she had been sitting seconds before.

"Everyone alright?!" She asked, crouching like a cat on the wall.

"We're alright." Hermione said, clearly shaken.

"Tatsu, behind you!" Draco yelled. The Bludger was coming back.

Tatsumi glanced back to get the Bludger in her sight, then ran along the top of the wall, towards a tower. She jumped at the last second to avoid the Bludger again, then kept running as the Bludger made a u-turn. Time seemed to slow down as she jumped and planted one foot on the side of the tower and took a look at her surroundings, contemplating her next move. Most of the spectators had realized what was going on, as had the players; although the Slytherin team was taking full advantage of their opponents' worry for her. The twins were both flying towards her; Fred was flying parallel to the Bludger, eyes on her, while George was coming from the opposite direction, with his hand tight around his Beater's bat. Making a decision, Tatsumi pushed off the wall and jumped into Fred's arms as George struck the Bludger, sending it flying out of the field.

"You ok?" Fred asked.

"I'll be fine once I get rid of that Bludger." Tatsumi assured him.

She locked eyes on her target as the Bludger was coming back at high-speeds. "Tsubaki." She chanted as part of her earring seemed to shatter. "Koten Zanshun. I Reject!"

A streak of orange sped towards the Bludger and cut it clean in half, destroying the spells on it, and causing the two halves to fall to the ground.

"Whoa!" Fred exclaimed. "What was that?"

"Tsubaki." Tatsumi repeated as said fairy showed up between them, hiding on her shoulder.

"There was some nasty magic on that ball." He said, then added smugly. "I took care of it, of course."

"Are you hurt?" Tatsumi asked.

"'Course not!" Tsubaki gave her a thumbs up. "Someone's definitely out to get you though, so don't forget to call me!" He ordered and returned to his sealed form.

"So…" Fred said. "Your earrings can turn into fairies?"

Tatsumi grinned at him. "Yup!" She then jumped off the broom, as they were close enough to the ground, and waved at him. "Thanks for the ride!"

She then made her way off the Quidditch-field to where her friends were waiting for her.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

"Quirrell has made the first move." Draco stated. The group was using an unused classroom, though it was well after curfew.

"I wonder, was Snape the only one who noticed what he was doing?" Hermione asked.

"Probably not." Tatsumi said. "Even if they were both silent, someone should've noticed them chanting." Her attention was then brought to the door. "If you're going to eavesdrop, you might as well come inside!" She said loudly. "Since you won't understand anything anyway!"

The door opened to reveal the twins, who walked inside and closed the door with some silencing-spells and privacy-wards. "How'd you know we were out there?" George asked.

"Tatsu-sama has enhanced senses." Juvia said almost proudly. "My question is; how did you know we were in here?"

"We have our ways." The twins said.

"'Your ways' wouldn't happen to be the Marauder's Map, would it?" Tatsumi asked.

The twins looked shocked.

"How did…" George started

"…you know?" Fred finished.

"Prongs was James Potter's nickname." Tatsumi explained. "I actually snuck into Filch's office to get it, it wasn't there anymore."

"Your dad was…" Fred started.

"… a Marauder?" George finished

"Wicked!" They chorused.

"Then perhaps you would like to return it to its proper owner?" **_Magic_** asked, and everyone turned to her.

"Maggie what are you doing here?" Tatsumi asked surprised.

" ** _Fate_** and **_Destiny_** have asked if the twins could be included." **_Magic_** said, though she clearly didn't agree. "They said something about 'Kindred Spirits', but personally I think the girls are crushing on them."

"Um, no offense…" Fred started.

"…but who are you?" George finished.

One hell of an explanation later, combined with telepathic proof that caused the twins to blush as red as their hair, and the twins were officially on board. Despite everything, **_Magic_** did eventually admit that she was glad on the **_Twins'_** behalf; it had been ages since any of the Divine Powers had recognized any 'Kindred Spirits'.

"So what do we do about Quirrell?" Fred asked.

"We had thought it was Snape who cursed the Bludger, but apparently we were wrong." George added.

"Snape is incapable of harming me." Tatsumi said. "We really weren't kidding about the House-elf comparison. Why'd you think it was him anyway?"

"We noticed him chanting while the Bludger was going bonkers." The twins replied.

"He was countering the curse." Draco told them.

"I'll have to thank him for trying." Tatsumi said. "His collar isn't programmed to force him to protect me. Of course, he _could_ be under direct orders from my parents. I certainly wouldn't be surprised."

"Or maybe he doesn't want to disappoint Lily-san again." Juvia said. It was a valid theory.

Tatsumi turned to **_Magic_**. "Is there a reason you came here, Maggie?" She asked. "Other than bringing in the twins?"

 ** _Magic_** smiled. "As a matter of fact; I want to introduce you to your new ally." She motioned to the back of the room where a transparent, young girl sat on a desk.

The girl looked almost like she could be Wendy's twin sister, with long black hair pulled into a sideways ponytail, and she was dressed in ancient clothing, suitable for a Lady around the time-period in which the castle was built.

"Everyone" **_Magic_** started. "This is Hogwarts. I sped up the process of giving the castle a consciousness of its own; she will aid you from now on."

"She looks like Wendy." Hermione said, feeling a bang of home-sickness.

 ** _Magic_** turned to Tatsumi. "Tatsu-chan, as a descendant of Godric Gryffindor, Hogwarts is compelled to obey you." She said, surprising everyone. "You will find that you're bonded with her, and she'll be able to communicate with you on a number of levels."

As if to emphasize, Hogwarts jumped off the desk and skipped happily over to Tatsumi who gave her a welcoming grin.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Over the next month, Tatsumi got to learn just what **_Magic_** had meant. Her bond with Hogwarts was such that the castle could deposit information directly into her head. At seemingly random moments, she would know about secret passages and their passwords, even secret rooms that not even the headmaster was aware off. She would be thinking about a specific person, and would instantly know where that person was and what they were doing **(AN 2)**. Other times the castle would speak to her telepathically, and was more than happy to share stories of her ancestor and his fellow founders. Unfortunately, the castle had developed a habit of commenting on the happenings within her walls; a habit born during the lonely time between her first conscious thought and the formation of her bond with Tatsumi. During that time, she had no one to speak to, and had entertained herself by making fun of the things she was watching. As a result, Tatsumi would burst out laughing for no apparent reason, at seemingly the oddest times.

Tatsumi had ordered two more Journals to give to the twins, despite their insistence that they just needed one, but, as it turned out; the group didn't really use the books much, seeing as they spent so much time together. They really only used it when Tatsumi was in detention, or if they wanted to talk after curfew. The twins actually used their books the most, usually warning them about upcoming pranks, or asking for inspiration or ideas. Tatsumi had also borrowed the Marauder's Map for just long enough to study and copy the spells used to create it. With Draco and Hermione's help, and a few creative ideas from Juvia, she had then added a modified map-feature to the Journals, one that did everything the map had done, with the addition of also showing the ghosts, portraits, and a selective number of passages and rooms that the Marauder's hadn't known about. If tapped with a wand, the map-feature also showed the passwords and other directions on how to use said passage ways and secret rooms. The new maps had actually come more in handy than the Protean-feature, especially for Hermione, who was particularly prone to overstaying in some of the secret rooms; she was working on creating a Rune-version of Solid Script and often got carried away, losing track of time.

By the end of the first week of December, the school was covered in several feet of snow and Tatsumi was out of bed and out the door at first light. She had woken all her friends and burst out the door, dressed in nothing more than a red tube-top and grey sweatpants, and dived straight into the first snow-pile she saw. She had not bothered braiding her 'tail' this morning, and instead held it back in a low ponytail with a gold, jeweled clamp that was about half a foot long. She was so happy she was throwing armfuls of snow into the air and making snow-angels as her friends watched; some in utter disbelief.

"Is she crazy?!" Katie Bell, Gryffindor Chaser, yelled. "She's going to get sick!"

"No she's not." Draco said with a yawn, he was dressed in nothing but pants. "Her affinity for fire-magic protects her from the cold."

"Draco is the same, due to his affinity for ice-magic." Hermione added. She and Juvia were dressed appropriately for the cold.

Sadly, they couldn't stay outside in the snow very long, having classes and all, but as soon as said classes let out for the day; Tatsumi was outside and enjoying every moment. Kaito, who was born in Japan, and had never seen snow before in his life, was also exploring this new experience for himself, burrowing through the snow and popping up in random places. Eventually though, it was time for dinner, and Tatsumi reluctantly stopped building snow-forts and looked around for her familiar.

"Kaito!" She called, but he didn't seem to hear her.

Following the tracks, he left behind, she eventually found him in the stables where he was chasing a mouse for some reason. She was about to pick him up when she noticed the Thestrals. She smiled and walked up to the nearest one.

"Hello there, cutie." She cooed and held out her hand. The Thestral sniffed her hand and allowed her to pet it.

"I see ya made a friend." A voice said and she turns to see Hagrid. He was carrying a large sack smelling of blood.

"Are those Rabbits?" Tatsumi asked recognizing the smell.

"Tha's right." Hagrid said and laid the sack on the floor. "Thestrals love 'em."

"So they're carnivores?" Tatsumi asked curiously.

"Tha's right." Hagrid said still smiling. "Wanna 'elp me feed 'em?"

"Sure!"

The two started feeding the Thestrals, and Hagrid found himself smiling at her again. "Ya seem t' like 'em." He said after a while.

"I do like them." Tatsumi said petting a small foal.

"Not many people do I'm afraid." Hagrid said a little sad. "Ya can only see Thestrals when ya've seen someone die, so most people don't like 'em. I can't see 'em myself so I 'ave to use a spell."

"Death is only the beginning of a new life." Tatsumi said standing up.

"By the way, aren't ye cold?" Hagrid suddenly asked.

Tatsumi blinked, and looked down on herself; she wasn't wearing anything than her uniform as she usually left her robe in her dorm, since she never used it anyway.

"No." She said simply.

"Okay." Hagrid said and continued to feed the Thestrals.

"Hey, Hagrid?" Tatsumi asked. "How come you're so big? I keep hearing rumors about you messing up a spell or potion as a kid, but I don't think anyone's actually bothered to ask you."

Hagrid chuckled. "I've 'eard tha' too." He said. "It's quite simple actu'lly. Mi dad was human, but me mum was a giant, ye see."

Tatsumi blinked in shock. "How did _that_ work?" She blurted out.

Hagrid just laughed.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Juvia took a deep breath. She pulled a Discman out of her pocket, an early Christmas present, and put on the headphones. She was standing on the ice-covered parts of the Black Lake. She was wearing ice-skates and, when the music started, she moved with the sound. Since she was little, figure skating had been almost like meditation for her, and she would always come home feeling much better than when she left. Her family's land had a nice path of ice every winter, and it was the house-elves that had first introduced her to the sport. She had been particularly depressed that year, and the elves had risked a lot by taking her out of the manor that day to watch a figure-skating competition. She had mimicked and practiced every winter since, teaching herself, and reading every book she could get her hands on.

Once she had gotten the basics down, she added music, and let the sounds control the pace. She danced herself into a trance, letting all her worries melt away, and clear her head. Her ballet lessons gave her inspiration, taking what she learned onto the ice, and what she learned on the ice sometimes made their way into her ballet-lessons, impressing her teachers. However, as soon as she brought herself back to real world; the first thing she always noticed was the snow that kept falling and falling and falling. The elves kept the ice clear of the build-up, but now, there was no more snow, no more rain, and when she stopped dancing; the first thing she noticed was the sound of applause, and she turned to see her friends all cheering at the performance.

What caught her eye the most was the look Draco was giving her, causing her to blush furiously. In her past life, she had thought his infatuation with her to be a passing crush, or she had convinced herself that it was. She had been blind. For all she wanted someone to look at her with such loving eyes, just for her, she had been so wrapped up with Gray that she had missed it completely. Not this time. She skated over to Draco and kissed him on the cheek. With all the years of being alone, she had come to terms with the fact that Gray would never love her the way she wished he did. Gray had found his Soulmate, and now she wanted to find hers. Draco's love for her had survived his reincarnation, and the ten years that had followed; and though she may still be confused as to what she truly felt for him, she was determined to make herself worthy of his affection.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

On the morning of the 21st, the Returned decided to help Hagrid decorate the Great Hall for the Holidays. 12 large Christmas trees were decorated with a wide variety of decorations; Juvia **(AN 3)** created links of unbreakable bubbles, while Draco added to the snowy decor by adding frost and non-melting ice-sculptures. Hermione **(AN 4)** was hanging Christmas baubles using the Levitation Charms, and Tatsumi had somehow found four boxes worth of fairies willing to decorate the trees.

"Isn't it a bit cruel to have the fairies hanging there for so long?" Hermione asked.

"No." Draco assured her. "They love to show off their beauty and those who aren't sold on time just fly off to find their own places to decorate. **(AN 5)**."

"They're also free to move around when no one is watching." Tatsumi said joining the conversation. She had two fairies attached to her 'tail', acting as if their where hair-ties. "And you can leave food out for them before you go to bed, if you want."

Looking at the two fairies, who smiled back at her, Hermione shrugged and continued decorating.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi turned to Juvia, who was making orbs of water to hang on the trees for the fairies to stay hydrated. "So, excited to make your first trip out of Britain?" She asked.

A little while ago, the Heads of Houses had collected names of those staying at the castle for the Holidays. Juvia almost signed up, but was invited to spend Christmas with the Kurosaki's instead. Juvia would've sent a letter to her father, but had sent a short note to the servants instead. The man had never responded to anything she had sent home, so she figured he wouldn't care anyway.

"Juvia is excited." Juvia said smiling. "It'll be Juvia's first Christmas with friends."

Tatsumi twitched, and her smile was anything but happy. "I'm tempted to introduce your father to certain family-friends of mine." She said.

Juvia was half-tempted to let her.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Two days later, the students of Hogwarts were on their way home for Christmas. The Hogwarts Express was considerably livelier than it had been on September 1st, several Christmas carols could be heard throughout the train, and students were exchanging gifts. Arriving back in London, the first-years were the first off the train, running into the arms of sorely missed parents.

"TATSUMI-CHAN!"

Though, in some cases, it was the other way around. Orihime was a blur from the moment she spotted her daughter stepping out of the train. Kazui and his fiancé, Ichika Abarai, were not far behind.

"Where's dad?" Tatsumi asked when her mother finally let her go.

"Wizengamot-business." Kazui said. "The old geezer was trying to use your votes again."

Tatsumi rolled her eyes. "You'd think he'd think twice after his run-in with Yoruichi-sensei." She said, causing Ichika to snort.

Kazui smiled at his fiancé, then turned to his mother. "We should go; our Portkey activates in half an hour." He said.

Tatsumi then turned to her friends and gave Hermione a goodbye-hug before turning to Draco. "You're coming for Boxing-day, right?" She asked.

Draco nodded. "Wouldn't miss it." He said.

Orihime smiled at Hermione. "You sure you can't join us, Granger-san?" She asked.

Hermione shook her head a bit sadly. "We're spending the day with my grandparents." She said. "But I hope I can convince my parents to let me come for New Year's."

"We'd love to have you." Orihime said smiling.

Half an hour later, the Kurosaki's were back home in Karakura, and Juvia was given a tour of the house before unpacking. Juvia would be sleeping in Tatsumi's room during her stay.

"Does Japan get snow at all?" Juvia asked looking out the window. There wasn't any snow here.

"It depends on which part of the country you're in." Tatsumi said. "The north gets a lot of snow that can last up to May while here in the south it stays warm all year around **(AN 6)**."

Once they were finished packing, dinner was ready and Juvia was introduced to the entire family.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

"GOOD MORNING, PRINCE- ** _*bam!*_** _"_

Of all the ways Juvia had expected to be awoken after her first night in Japan; having Isshin Kurosaki bursting into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs, only to be hit with a Side Kick to the face, wasn't it.

"GET LOST, GOAT-FACE!" Tatsumi yelled at her grandfather. "IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT YOU DO THIS WHEN WE _DON'T_ HAVE GUESTS! "

Juvia had been sleeping on a Futon on the floor, so the whole thing had happened right above her head.

"Sorry, Via, I should've warned you about him." Tatsumi said sleepily.

"Does he do that often?" Juvia asked still shaken by the incident.

"Try every single day." Tatsumi said getting out of bed. "You wanna take a shower first?"

"Yes, please." Juvia said nodding and grabbed a fresh set of clothing before heading to the bathroom.

 **o000o**

"Is Christmas any different here than Britain?" Juvia asked. Tatsumi had decided to drag her on a tour around town for some last minute Christmas-shopping.

"Yeah, quite a bit actually." Tatsumi said. "There aren't many Christians here, so it's not a national holiday like it is in the west **(AN 7)**. It's become more popular in the last few decades, but most people celebrate by eating Kentucky Fried Chicken and Strawberry Sponge-cake with cream. We also celebrate more on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day as it's considered a romantic day. It's actually a lot like the Western Valentine's Day; as couples spend together doing romantic stuff, like exchanging present and going out for dinner."

"Juvia sees." Juvia said fascinated.

"New Year's is the big celebration around here." Tatsumi continued. "It's celebrated over five days from December 31st to January 4th and we celebrate it very similarly to the traditional Western Christmas celebration. Families get together for a special meal, and we pray together, and send greeting-cards."

Juvia nodded. "Juvia wishes Hogwarts hadn't let out so late." She said with a sigh. "Juvia would've liked to have more time to find good gifts."

"Shopping for presents just hours before opening them doesn't feel very right, does it?" Tatsumi agreed sheepishly. "Come on, I'll show you my favorite shop."

 **o000o**

Later that evening, the family was all gathered in the living-room with stomachs full of Yuzu's delicious cake. Ember was serving drinks and hot chocolate, and one by one they opened their presents. But, there was one present that stood out from the others. A soft package addressed to Tatsumi, but with no sender. Just a short stating that the package was left in 'his/her' possession by James Potter, and it was time to return it.

"My cloak!" James exclaimed. "I let Dumbledore borrow it because he wanted to study it."

"Why would he want to study a cloak?" Tatsumi asked confused.

James grinned at her. "Open it and find out." He said.

Lily smacked him on the head so hard his head hit the coffee-table. "James there could be spells on that thing!" She scolded. "Who knows what Dumbledore has done to it!"

Tatsumi did the wise thing and handed the package to Kisuke.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 _First of all, I want to apologize for the very late upload. I've struggled with a long period of demotivation and it's been hard to start writing again. I do try to upload on the 1st day of the month, but this time it just didn't work out. Unfortunately, I do get into periods where I can't seem to get myself to do anything, not even things I love, so I appreciate your patience._

 _I also got the offer of a Beta some time ago, but given my completely unpredictable mood, I don't feel like I can take that offer. It wouldn't be fair to whoever got the job and I'm always afraid that things will go sour rather shortly. I have people-issues due to my anxiety, and I struggle to interact with others. So for the time being my stories will remain unbetaed and I again I thank you all for your patience._

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** These diaries were inspired by a similar diary used in _Brothers_ by _preciousann_ , which I mentioned in the Prolog

 **2)** For those who have read _Brothers_ , this would be very similar to what Luna was going through in said story, except it's not constant like Luna's ability, as Hogwarts a separate 'being' in my story.

 **3)** _Juvia's Wand:_

10 ½ inches Hazel with 'White River Monster Spine' and a handle of carved Aquamarine with an aquatic design.

Forceful and Elegant.

This wand was the last wand to be made by the Wandmaker Thiago Quintana (See Wiki), whose harvesting of White River Monster spines initially raised concerns of over-fishing, but because he was the only one who knew how to lure the creatures, the ecological impact was not severe. White River Monster spines are no longer used as a wand core after Quintana's death, as he took the secret of luring the creature to his grave.

 **4)** _Hermione's Wand:_

10 ¾ inches Vine with Dragon Heartstring.

Beautifully carved.

 **5)** _'Harry Potter and the Manipulator of Destiny'_ by _'Wheezy1'_ is a long, nice, and funny story that is perfect for those who are looking a bit of humor at the expense of our not-so-favorite Headmaster. If you're looking for a good Harry/Hermione and/or Neville/Luna pairing, and a bit of Dumbledore/Ron/Ginny bashing, then I recommend checking it out.

 **6)** Seeing as there was never any natural snow in Karakura during the Winter-war, I'm assuming the town is in the south.

 **7)** Japanese Christmas Celebration – www. whychristmas cultures/ (remove spaces)


	9. Chapter 8 - New Year's

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Eight – New Year's_**

"AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK!"

Tatsumi nodded at her friends. It was December 30th and Hermione had arrived about half an hour ago with Orihime using a portkey, while the twins had been Side-along Apparated by Ichigo around the same time. The twins didn't speak Japanese, but were using language-charms. Tatsumi had everyone in her room and had just finished telling them about the anonymous package she had received for Christmas. She and Juvia were sitting on her bed, though while Juvia was sitting very femininely, Tatsumi was sitting Indian-style. Draco was sitting backwards on the chair by her desk; he had been there since Boxing Day, so he already knew about the cloak.

"Kisuke is studying it, but according to James it's been in the family for a long time." Tatsumi said. She referred to James by his name to avoid confusing her friends.

"Do you know who gave it to you?" Hermione asked.

Tatsumi nodded. "James said Dumbledore borrowed it." She said. "Lily suspects there are spells on it, but Kisuke will have those removed. He's found a few Compulsions already."

Draco frowned. "Did he find out what they were set to make you do?" He asked.

"The first was to try it on immediately upon receiving it." Tatsumi said. "I never opened it though, since James realized what it was. There were also a few set to induce positive emotions towards the old coot. The last one is vaguer though; Kisuke called it a 'Guiding'-Compulsion, as it was set to make me go somewhere, but it's dormant at the moment so he left it on."

"Dumbledore wants to show you something?" The twins chorused.

"That, or he wants to get me somewhere he can spell me without being caught." Tatsumi half-joked. Her Lordship-ring was kept on a long golden chain around her neck, but was invisible unless she wanted to show it. This ring, even though it wasn't on her finger, gave her a certain amount of protection against manipulation, whether it be spells or potions, and would warn her if any such attempt was made.

"Maybe he wants to lead you to the third-floor?" Juvia suggested. "You've shown no interest so far, and we know he wants you to feel obligated to protect the stone."

"Maybe." Tatsumi shrugged. "I've been exploring a lot so it wouldn't seem out of place."

"Is there anywhere you haven't been yet?" Fred asked.

"There's a lot of places I haven't explored." Tatsumi admitted. "The castle is _huge_ … I've been getting odd readings too."

"Readings?" Juvia asked what everyone was thinking.

Tatsumi nodded and pulled the chain of her necklace, the one that looked like Rangiku's, out of her shirt. On the end of the chain was a diamond-shaped pendant of clear crystal with silver frames. Inside the pendant was a light-blue liquid with a glob of black, oil-like substance floating in the middle **(AN 1)**.

"This used to be inside my scar." Tatsumi explained.

"WHAT?!"

"I was about three years old when we realized something was off about my scar, so Kisuke had a look at it." Tatsumi explained. "It's actually a tiny, foreign soul-fragment. When he first removed it, it came out as a runny black goop, but after a while the liquid separated into this."

Draco paled. "You said it was a soul-fragment?" He asked, clearly shaken.

Tatsumi nodded; she wasn't surprised he recognized what it was. "Kisuke called it a Horcrux." She told them.

"That's how he didn't die." Draco said breathlessly. "But I thought the ritual tore the soul in _half_. "

"It does." Tatsumi said looking back at the pendant. "This isn't the first. We believe he was going to use my murder to create one, but his soul was so unstable that a piece tore off on its own when the Killing Curse backfired."

"He must have prepared the ritual beforehand." Draco speculated. "He can't be aware that it happened either, or he wouldn't have tried to kill you at the Quidditch-match."

Meanwhile, the others had realized what they were talking about, and were looking ill. "A-Are you saying…" George started shakenly.

"… that You-Know-Who actually…" Fred continued equally shaken.

"… mutilated his own _soul_?! " They chorused horrified.

Tatsumi nodded. "Kisuke theorizes that the necklace might be able to detect other pieces of his soul, but he wasn't sure. If he's right, then there might be a Horcrux somewhere in Hogwarts."

"It would explain why the necklace reacted." Hermione said lowly. The thought of someone _willingly_ tearing their soul apart was… inconceivable.

"How many?" Draco asked dreading the answer.

"Kisuke calculated that he split his soul five times prior to that night." Tatsumi said. Even though she'd had years to get used to it; it still made her sick to think about it.

Juvia also looked uncomfortable. "Juvia takes it Maggie can't tell you anything about them?" She asked.

Tatsumi shook her head. "No." She said. "Remember, she can't tell us everything, but this one was bound to be discovered anyway, given the people who raised me."

Draco nodded. "We still have to identify and find them ourselves." He summarized.

"And one might be at Hogwarts." Hermione reminded everyone. "You think the ghosts might know something?"

Tatsumi shrugged. "We can ask when we get back to Hogwarts." She said, then jumped off the bed with a wide, excited grin. "Now who's up for firework-lessons!"

That caught the twins' attention, causing them to grin wickedly. "Fireworks?" They asked dreamily.

"Yup!" Tatsumi said excitedly. "Kisuke promised he'd show me how to make fireworks this year, and your all welcome to join me!"

"Wicked!" The twins cheered.

The two of them wanted to open their own Joke-shop, and they figured fireworks would be a great addition to their merchandise.

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On the first day of the Japanese New Year's Celebration, the Kurosaki's treated their guests to a Kimono for each of the girls, and a Yukata each for the boys, which they all wore during the festivals. The kids also got to tests out their home-make fireworks at midnight, though some were more successful than others. The twins and Tatsumi's fireworks worked perfectly, but Hermione's exploded prematurely, at about half the height it should've, and Juvia's flew off without exploding at all. Draco's never left the ground. No one was really disappointed though, and Kisuke had plenty of other fireworks for the celebration.

Also, during their stay, the twins practically fell in love with Kisuke, who was more than happy to support them in their dream; something their own mother refused to do. In a matter of days, Kisuke became like a parent, and strangely enough; he was actually acting like one. He would help the twins financially, but they had to work for it. He gave them a portable computer and some lab-equipment, and in exchange they would be working for him in his shop during the holidays. He also expected them to take their education seriously, and told them he expected good marks on their exams. They complained a bit, as studying would cut down on the time they had working on their inventions, but Kisuke pointed out that poor grades would be bad for business, as people would be suspicious of their claim to their products. If they had bad grades, people would think they had stolen the products from someone else, or at the very least, forcing someone else to make them, and taking all the credit for themselves. They would have to fight to prove themselves, possibly even retake their exams, so the twins relented in the end. Kisuke also insisted on evaluating their work; examining the recipes and ingredients, and offering to test the products safely, and even send a proper report back to them.

The twins were thrilled, but chose not to tell certain members of their family when it was time to return to Hogwarts. They did send letters to their older brothers, Bill and Charlie, who both lived and worked in other countries. They also told their father, who had always supported his children, even if his wife didn't agree with him, but asked that their mother and remaining siblings be left out. Arthur Weasley had understood why they didn't want their mother to know, and was happy that the twins had a very real opportunity to make their dream come true. Bill, a Cursebreaker in Egypt, and Charlie, who worked in the Romanian Dragon-reserve, had been a little vary at first, but had always encouraged the twins to follow their dream despite their mother's protests, and knew the twins were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that.

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On January 5th, it was time to return to Hogwarts. It was a Sunday, so classes wouldn't start until tomorrow. The Kurosaki's and their guests arrived at the designated 'Arrival/Departure'-zone at platform 9 ¾; a good sized area for Portkeys, Apparition, and Floo-travel. The zone was on the opposite end of the platform to the barrier leading to King's Cross. They were also at the back of the Hogwarts Express, where the luggage-compartment was. There was also a designated Animal-compartment where the group dropped off most of their animals. Hedwig, the snowy owl that Tatsumi had gotten as a birthday-present from Hagrid, was allowed to fly to the school while her cage was tucked into a trunk.

Meanwhile, Juvia dropped off Nami, a beautiful calico kitten she had gotten for Christmas, while the twins dropped off their new familiars, Ying and Yang; a pair of mod-souls in very life-like weasel-plushies. Ying was mostly white with black-tipped tail and paws, while Yang was mostly black with white-tipped tail and paws. Both had ice-blue eyes and wore bright red collars with a special pendant designed to hold their soul-candy if necessary. Kaito was sharing Nami's pet-carrier this time around, mostly because Juvia was worried Nami would get scared or lonely during the long ride. Lastly, Hermione had gotten an owl for Christmas, which she named Hermes; he was flying with Hedwig.

The kids were about to board the train when Tatsumi stopped and looked towards the barrier. "Gred, Forge, your family's here." She said.

The twins looked over, but didn't see anyone. They were about to ask when Ronald suddenly came through the barrier, followed by Percy and the remaining Weasley's **(AN 2)**. The twins looked wide-eyed at Tatsumi.

"You heard them all the way from the other side of the barrier?!" They chorused.

Tatsumi just nodded; they had explained to the twins how she had the second best hearing out of all the Dragon Slayers they knew about, but it was different to actually see it for themselves. Though, to be fair, she had only heard the Weasley's on the other side of the magical barrier because Molly, the wife, was so goddamned loud. Tatsumi was about to turn back towards the train again when a thought hit her, but as the train was about to leave she kept it to herself, and decided to discuss it with the others when they were in a compartment, so no one could overhear them. She walked onto the train and they all waved to her parents as the train started moving.

"Gred, Forge." She said sitting down. "How come your family don't use the Arrival-zone?"

The twins both opened their mouths to say something, but then stopped and looked at each other strangely. "That's a good question, Forge." Fred said. "Why _did_ we stop using it?"

"I do not know, my dear Gred." George said. "When Bill started Hogwarts we took the Floo."

"And we used the Floo up until last school-year." Fred continued. "Then suddenly we were rushing the long way to King's Cross…"

"…through crowds of busy muggles to reach the barrier."

Tatsumi looked at them. "And you weren't even late either; my family passed through the barrier _after_ yours, and we had _plenty_ of time to say goodbye." She said. Her family had taken the scenic route that morning to see some of the sights of London before she boarded the train to Hogwarts. "I wouldn't even have noticed your family if your mother hadn't been so loud when she said the word 'Muggle'."

The twins looked at each other. "It wasn't the only thing she was loud about." They said.

"She kept asking about the platform number." George said thoughtfully.

"And Ginny answered just as loudly every time." Fred said equally thoughtful.

Hermione then caught on. "The platform has never been changed." She said. "The Hogwarts Express has always departed from platform 9 ¾, so why was your mother – whose two oldest sons has already graduated from Hogwarts – be asking about it?"

"It was a set up." Draco concluded. "But why? And for who?"

"Me probably." Tatsumi said. "I didn't think much about it at the time, since I didn't know anything about your family then. Maggie just gave me a name and a warning, but I didn't have any faces to go with it until the sorting."

"Dumbledore must have asked her to do it." Juvia said suspiciously. "Remember what Hagrid said, about him claiming to be in touch with you for all these years."

Draco nodded. "He might have told Mrs. Weasley something similar." He said and looked to the twins for any confirmation.

"Mom _has_ been acting weird whenever the Girl-Who-Lived came up." Fred said.

"Saying stuff like 'That poor girl' and how 'she needs a _good_ family when she gets _home_ to Britain'." George continued.

"And she's always talking to Ron about him being in the same year, and how he needs to be a good role-model." Fred added.

"And telling Ginny how she'll need a good 'girl friend', and something about 'making Ron look good'." George said.

Both twins were looking increasingly strange at each other as they spoke; as if they were just remembering this.

Draco looked at the twins back and forth. "You might have a mild Compulsion on you, if your mother's strange behavior never struck you as odd." He told them.

The twins nodded, they were thinking the same thing.

 **o000o**

After curfew that evening, Tatsumi was following the one Compulsion Kisuke had left on her Invisibility Cloak. She'd remove it later, but she wanted to make it appear to Dumbledore that the spells hadn't been discovered. The spell led her to an old, empty, and dusty room she'd already visited, but now there was a large, very clean mirror in the room. She felt a ward as she entered the room; a ward that notified the caster of any entry into the room, but she ignored it. It would only confirm to Dumbledore that the spell worked, so she walked up to the mirror without removing her cloak. She was shocked when she looked in the mirror; it didn't just show her reflection, but her entire family, old and new, standing behind her. Gray's image was standing next to her; he put his arm around her and automatically she lifted a hand to meet his, but there was nothing there.

"What are you?" She whispered, stepping away from the mirror, tearing her eyes away from the image and looking around for any answers. Her eyes landed on the mirror's inscription, and it didn't make any sense as she tried to figure out what it said. Then it clicked; the spaces were in the wrong places, and it was backwards. "I show not your face but your heart's desire."

 _"The Mirror of Erised."_ She thought breathlessly. _"How did the old fart get a hold of this?"_

Not wanting to fall under the mirror's spell, Tatsumi spun around and ran back to her dorm without looking back.

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 _I made a small addition to last chapter regarding Juvia and Hermione's wands. I had forgotten that I wanted to describe the wands in the story as they were being used, but going back I didn't find a good place to add it in, so I added them in the Author's Notes instead. Hermione's wand is the same as in canon, but I had to make Juvia's from scratch._

 _I also want to clarify that when I said I would try and upload at the 1st of every month, I meant this as a channel-wide upload and doesn't necessarily mean an upload to this story, but an 'upload' also doesn't necessary mean a new chapter, it just means I've made an update. It can be something as minimal as spell-checking, and replacing chapters with new edited versions. Other times I've gone back and just added details and trying to fix mistakes or scenes that end prematurely, or fixing sentences that doesn't sound right, etc._

 _One example is that I've noticed a problem I previously had with Sleeping Dragons, which has been taken down temporarily; I can't seem to get my characters right. In both stories, I've chosen a character that's supposed to be a lot more carefree and goofy than I was able to portray them due to writing mostly scenes where they have to be serious and focused. For instance, I would like to write more scenes where Tatsumi is more true to Natsu's personality, and I'm hoping the addition of the twins will help me with that in future chapters. I'm also a bit worried that I've made Juvia a bit too vulnerable and quiet, but these are also things I think can fix with future chapters as part of her character-progression. I imagine Juvia is much like her wand; Elegant and Forceful, but I might have to have her growing into it first._

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 **1)** I reread _'Fleeing Light'_ by ' _DragonKingDragneel25'_ a HP / Fairy Tail crossover in which Harry and Hermione escape to Earthland after third year, only for Harry to be magically transported back to Hogwarts due to the Triwizard Tournament, and I realized that this is where I got the idea for Tatsumi's necklace, as Harry had a similar one in this story.

 **2)** I know this was the Christmas that Ron and his brothers stayed at Hogwarts because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were visiting Charlie in Romania, but with the kind of person Molly Weasley is **in this story** , I think she would only use the trip as an excuse to have Ron keep an eye on Tatsumi over the holidays. However, since Tatsumi isn't staying at the castle, there's no way to do that, so why waste the money?


	10. Chapter 8,1 - Interlude 1

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Interlude – A.P.W.B.D_**

Fawkes watched the Headmaster carefully. The weather outside was cold, wet, and rainy, as was normal at this time of year; and painted a perfect picture of the headmaster's current mood. The man was showing no outwards sign of his foul mood, but the man could not hide anything from Fawkes, thanks to their bond. Fawkes knew everything about him; his past, his plans, his secrets, his way of thinking. Everything. But now, after so many years as the man's slave, the phoenix was so close to be free. His true companion had visited him every day in spirit-form since September 1st, but she had to work slowly, and carefully, as to not alert the man to the weakening bond. Until that day, however, Fawkes would watch his captor, gather information, and learn as much as he could.

Albus Dumbledore had started out as a very promising child; he was born with the highest Merlin Rate in centuries, he was also very intelligent, and received his first wand at age 6. But what _could've_ grown into a true beacon of Justice – just the kind of man the wizard-world needed to bring back balance – instead grew into a man whose influence and ideas would ultimately end all life on the planet. Even as a young child, Albus had visions of grandeur; a desire to create a utopia, with himself as its ruler. He knew he was 'Fated' to change the world, but his hunger for power corrupted his mind early. It had all started the day he discovered his sister, Ariana, was significantly more powerful than he. Four years younger, Ariana was having magical outbursts at a younger age than either of her brothers, and was showing signs of being able to control her magic sooner than even Albus had.

Their father was incredibly proud, and wanted to give the girl her first wand a year earlier than Albus had. A year later, when Ariana was six, she was already being called a prodigy, and Albus hated her for it. _He_ was the first born; _he_ was supposed to be the strongest; _he_ was supposed to be the pride of the family; _he_ was supposed to be the prodigy; _he_ was supposed to be the one in the spotlight; _he_ was supposed to be the most powerful wizard since Merlin; _he_ was the brightest child of his generation; _he_ deserved that power; not her! She was nothing! A retard with the mind of a two-year-old **(AN 1)**! So what if she could use wandless magic!? The girl couldn't even talk properly, little along cast any spells! The girl even had to have her wand taken away, because she kept putting it in her mouth, thinking it was candy! It wasn't fair! She would never even be able to _use_ her power! It was a complete and utter _waste_ of magic!

Albus had tried getting rid of her. Lured her out of the house, then left her where she would be easily found, which she was, by three muggle boys who witnessed her using magic. The three boys attacked her, just as Albus had planned, but the attack was discovered when Percival Dumbledore came looking for his daughter, and heard her screams. Ariana was saved, but her magic inverted, and became highly unstable; she never truly recovered. Percival later attacked the three boys, and was arrested for his crime; he died in Azkaban. Kendra Dumbledore was later killed when her daughter's magic caused an explosion, leaving Albus alone to care for his younger siblings. Ariana was only 14, but had never left the house after the attack, hence she never went to wizarding school. Albus had just graduated, and because Aberforth was still in school; he was forced to cancel his plans for a 'Grand Tour of the World', and forced to care for Ariana instead, feeling resentful as his power and talent was wasted on her.

Then, Albus met Gellert Grindewald; his first and only love. It was love at first sight, and Albus was enthralled by the talented and brilliant man with ideas of wizarding domination. Albus was fascinated by Gellert's story of the Deathly Hollows, and spent all his free time helping with the research, leaving Aberforth to take care of Ariana. However, as the time came for Aberforth to return to school, the boy confronted him over his neglect of Ariana, and told him he would have to care for her come September 1st. Infuriated, Gellert used the Cruciatus Curse on the boy, causing a violent duel to break out. During the fight, Ariana tried to intervene and, in the chaos, Albus realized he had once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Pretending to come to his brother's aid, Albus hit Ariana with a fatal curse, making it seem as if she was hit by a stray spell, killing her instantly.

Gellert, the only one who knew the _real_ Albus Dumbledore, fled immediately, leaving Albus to pretend to be devastated by the girl's death. They had discussed killing Ariana, but Gellert already had a bad record, so they had to make it look like an accident; this, though unplanned, was just as good, although they would need to adjust their plan to this new development. The two met up later, adjusting their original plan, and split up to cover more ground. While Gellert worked on their army of followers, Albus would continue the search for the Hollows, and work on putting himself in a powerful position for when they initiated the final stage of their plan. Unfortunately, they were eventually forced to change their plans yet again; their opposition was to great, so they were going to switch roles. People are more inclined to support a hero than a villain, so they had to make it seem like Albus had defeated Gellert in an epic duel.

By that time, Gellert had gotten his hands on 'the Elder Wand', but in order to be convincing, especially without any witnesses to their 'duel', Albus would have to emerge with the wand, as the 'winner'. Gellert would be 'arrested' after the duel, and people would believe he was to spend the rest of his life in Nurmengard, a prison he himself had built. In reality, the 'prison' was controlled by their loyal followers, and Gellert would have free reign, and all the time in the world to continue their research from where Albus had left off. Since then, Albus gained his titles as 'Headmaster of Hogwarts', 'Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards' and 'Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot'. Albus basked in the fame of being considered the most powerful wizard since Merlin, and 'Defeater of the Dark Lord Grindewald', as well as having been the apprentice of the famous alchemist Nicholas Flamel.

Abusing his power and reputation, Albus became a master manipulator and had a significant number of people wrapped around his fingers. Three Lords, who had died without any heirs, had named him as a benefactor in their Wills, as a thanks for ending the war, and had given him their seats in the Wizengamot in hopes that he would make the world a better place **(AN 2)**. Albus had also stolen from countless orphans, naming himself as their Magical Guardian, yet leaving them to be raised by the orphanages, or with muggle family-members. He would then keep those children unaware of their holdings and heritages. He stole their money, and kept them ignorant well after they had graduated, acting as their 'Proxy'. Any investments and estates were controlled by him, and no one were any wiser. He would then use this stolen wealth to fund Gellert's research and luxurious lifestyle; to fund the 'Order of the Phoenix', to bribe carefully selected people, and, of course, live a _very_ comfortable life. Albus and Gellert would even go on holidays, using stolen houses and estates all over the world.

Though the road to greatness wasn't uneventful, Albus always found a way to get back on track, regardless of the obstacles. When his popularity was beginning to die down, he knew he would have to remind people of his greatness, but to do so he needed a new 'Dark Lord' to defeat. He tracked down the last descendants of Salazar Slytherin, but was disappointed in how weak and inbred they were. A descendant of Slytherin would've been a perfect adversary, but the Gaunt's were the exact opposite of what he needed them to be. Then, he noticed the daughter of the family had fallen in love with a muggle, a rich muggle. The new blood would perhaps produce a non-disfigured offspring, and could perhaps renew the magic of the Slytherin-line. He encouraged the girl, a near-squib, to use Love-potions of the man she loved, and as a result she got to marry him. However, when she fell pregnant, Albus convinced her to stop using the potions, making her think he would stay with her for the sake of their child, but the man instead left her.

Alone, and without money, the girl was forced to sell family heirlooms for cheap as her brother and father were in Azkaban at this time. She grew weak with the lack of food, and was kept alive almost solely by her magic, as little as it was. She lived just long enough to give birth to her son, and name him, so the boy grew up in an orphanage. Albus had to play his part carefully, however, as he couldn't afford to have the boy exposing him. He would not name himself as the boy's guardian, regardless of the temptation, as he needed the boy to find out about his heritage on his own. Also, Albus needed the boy to hate him if they were going to become enemies. Though Albus was only the Transfiguration Professor and Deputy Headmaster at the time, he had succeeded in this; starting with the fact that he was the one who introduced the boy to the wizard-world, and, to prove that magic was real, Albus had created an illusion of setting the boy's closet on fire, knowing fully well that everything the boy owned was inside it. The boy hadn't showed it, but Albus had felt the boy's fear as he truly believed that the only things he had ever owned, although he had stolen most of them, were destroyed.

Young Tom had disliked him from that moment, and it came to no surprise that the boy was sorted into the House of his ancestor. Believed to be a Muggleborn, the boy was not treated well by his prejudice housemates, but Tom eventually proved himself, especially after discovering his heritage, and embraced the values of his pureblooded housemates. Then, the boy found his ancestor's secret chamber, and let the basilisk out. After a girl was killed, Albus made sure to let Tom know that he knew what the boy had done, and, though he could prove it, Albus had pretended that he couldn't, allowing Tom to come up with a scapegoat that later became indebted to Albus. Rubeus Hagrid was a fool, but being half-giant the boy had a semi-immunity to spells, and would grow into a large and strong man whom would come in handy in more ways than one. Hagrid had kept a dangerous creature, an Acromantula, inside the castle, and was expelled when Tom 'discovered' it. The Acromantula was blamed for the death, and Hagrid's wand was snapped. Albus had arranged for the boy to live on the castle-grounds as a Game-Keeper-in-training, and future Groundskeeper, as the boy was, by that time, an orphan.

Tom would kill his father and paternal grandparents later that same year, framing his maternal uncle for the murders, before using these murders to split his soul to create his first two Horcruxes. Albus had played on the boy's fear of death, and his obsession with immortality, and combined it with Potion's Professor Slughorn's obsession with 'collecting' talented students. Alcohol, and a mild Compulsion, was enough for the Potion's Master to reveal the secret of the Horcruxes to young Tom, who lapped up the information like a hungry kitten. Albus had first lured the boy towards the Dark Arts using mild Compulsions, but after only a short time the boy kept going back all on his own, and went deeper and deeper, even long after graduating. Tom dwelled so deep into the Dark Arts that he permanently altered his body and mind, becoming something like a half-snake. He also continued creating Horcruxes, further destabilizing himself, and, when Albus denied him the Defense Against Dark Arts position, the man finally snapped, becoming the new Dark Lord, and starting another war.

Albus lead the Light in that war, as people flocked to him for protection. He was the only wizard whom 'Lord Voldemort' feared, and the only one who could defeat him. However, getting rid of Voldemort turned out to be harder than he had expected, as he just couldn't _find_ those damned Horcruxes. Albus had the knowledge to kill him, but couldn't until he found every one of those horrid objects. Then, during a job-interview for the Divination position, a Prophecy was made. Albus was shocked; he couldn't care less about the Death Eater that had overheard the first three lines, and would without doubt inform Voldemort, but the prophecy spoke of a child who would defeat the Dark Lord. A child. Not him, 'Defeater' of Grindewald and Leader of the Light; a bloody _child_. He couldn't let that happen, he needed the people to support _him_ ; Gellert was counting on him, and he was not let their hard work go to waste. He needed this child gone, _before_ it could fulfill the Prophecy, but how?

The answer was in the Prophecy itself; two children fit the description of the Chosen Child, and, when the Death Eater who had overheard the prophecy came to him in hopes of saving the woman he loved, Albus knew which of those two the Dark Lord was aiming for. He was forced to use the Imperious Curse to force the Potter's _out_ of their unplottable manor, and into a small cottage under the Fidelious Charm. But with a Death Eater as their Secret Keeper, it was only a matter of time before they were found, and the child was dead; but something went wrong. The child survived the attack; a direct hit from the Killing Curse. Albus couldn't believe it; it wasn't supposed to happen! Yet, the Dark Lord was seemingly defeated when the curse backfired, and the wizard-world celebrated the end of the war. The Girl-Who-Lived was a hero, and Albus was left with some serious damage-control, if he was to reclaim his heroic status.

First, he needed control over the Girl-Who-Lived, but something went wrong there as well. The plan had started out brilliantly; the girl's Godfather was sent to Azkaban, and the girl was left with her magic-hating, muggle aunt. He had then called an emergency meeting for the Wizengamot where he claimed Magical Guardianship, only to learn that someone had _already_ claimed the title. Vernon Dursley had taken the girl with him on a business trip, then abandoned the girl somewhere halfway across the planet. The family who found the girl was powerful, and no matter what Albus did, he couldn't get the girl away from them. At first he had thought the family to be ignorant of who they had adopted, and had on numerous occasions tried to use the Potter-seats in the Wizengamot to force a vote in his favor, only to be denied, and even scolded for his actions. He had tried to sneak into the Potter-vaults in Gringotts as well, thinking the goblins easy to fool, but he'd been wrong, again.

However, though losing out on the Potter Fortune, and seats, was unfortunate, it was not a terrible loss. Albus could work without them, but it did put a large obstacle in his path that he had to work around. Since he couldn't get rid of the girl, he would have to _use_ her; and if his plan worked, it would make him even more famous than before. When he had seen the scar on the girl's forehead he knew she was a Horcrux, albeit an accidental one that Voldemort would have no knowledge of creating; that meant she would have to die before Voldemort could become mortal, and killable. Once the girl was dead, and the Horcuxes destroyed, Albus would then kill Voldemort, and become 'the man who defeated the Dark Lord whom not even the 'Child of Prophecy' could kill'. However, the girl would have to go last to make the greatest impact on the public.

Voldemort would also need to have his body back, but there were several ways to achieve that. The problem was to get the girl to sacrifice herself when the time was right; that's why he left her with Petunia Dursley, the woman was sure to be angry for having been forced to raise a 'Freak'. Albus would use that anger to manipulate her and her family, making the girl's upbringing as miserable as possible. So that she would have nothing to live for. He just needed to tie in the right spells to the Blood-wards he put around the house, but because the Dursley's never took the girl into their home; the wards collapsed. Albus had planned to have Hagrid 'rescue' the girl from her relatives when it was time for her to go to Hogwarts, and Hagrid would praise Albus, making him look like a hero in the girl's eyes, and he would also point out the evil that was Slytherin House.

All that had gone wrong. The girl had been adopted by a powerful magical family and Albus would have to work hard to get her into the right mindset. He already had the means, but he would have to be careful, and work slowly to avoid suspicion. He would have to test her first, but so far the results were inconclusive. The girl was exploring the castle, but there was no sign that she had entered the Third Floor, nor did he know for sure that she had taken the hints he had laid out for her. He knew Hagrid had the right newspaper on the table during the girl's first visit to his hut, and he knew for a fact that she had found the mirror, but he had also expected her to _return_ to the mirror so he could discreetly explain how it worked. She hadn't. Then, there was the company she was in. She was supposed to hate Slytherins, yet she was 'best friends' with Draco Malfoy, of all people. Albus was thrilled with her relationship with the Muggleborn Granger-girl, but Moon and Malfoy were troubling.

The group had been open about being 'Returned', and he knew they claimed to have known each other in a past life, but there were no cases of such memories being more than a few bits and pieces; so why were they so close? Albus had tried to get her away from that group, but nothing seemed to work. He needed that girl firmly on the Light side, that's why he had brought in Molly Weasley, but so far all the woman's attempts to get the girl's attention had failed. Well, the _right_ attention anyway; she _had_ befriended those blasted twins, but they were the _last_ Weasley's they wanted her to be friendly with. Out of all the Weasley's only the two youngest took after their mother; he had to 'Obliviate' everyone else when he had made his offer.

Molly, however, had been so eager; "a dream come true", she had said. Albus had come to love the woman as the younger sister he _should_ have had, and – had he been straight – he likely would've married her. Molly had caught his eye during her early Hogwarts-years; she was a devious one, even at that age. She was a spoiled little thing, and greedy too. She spotted opportunities like a professional Seeker spotted Snitches, and she rarely let one slip from her fingers. She was also smart, and covered her tracks well; she knew when she was in over her head, and when she could get away with it. Talented with memory-charms as well. Everyone thought she was a kind and overly loving girl; everyone was fooled. Molly Weasley nee Prewett didn't love anyone except her children; not even her own brothers; not even her own husband.

Out of all the men Molly had 'dated', Arthur was set to inherit the most money **(AN 3)**. His father, Septimus Weasley, was a seventh-born son who had outlived both his parents and his older brothers, whom had all died, leaving their belongings to their remaining family until Septimus was all there was left. Some of his brother's died young, others without heirs. Some were successful, and one married rich; Septimus inherited almost everything, and all three of his sons would inherit well. However, Molly didn't want just one third of the Weasley fortune; she wanted it all. Only Albus knew who was responsible for the death of Arthur's brothers; the official story was that the two brother's had shared a beverage contaminated with an incorrectly-brewed Love-potion meant for the eldest of the two, and a single incorrect ingredient had turned the concoction into poison.

Arthur's eldest brother had apparently been doused with a Love-potion for months, so his girlfriend had been arrested as a suspect, but the girl had testified under Veritaserum that she had no knowledge of the potions, and was released. The case was left unsolved, but Albus knew; Molly could've been a Potions Mistress had she not been so lazy, instead she hid her true talent, so no one would ever suspect it when she set her eyes on Arthur. 'Everyone' knew that Molly had used a mild love-potion on Arthur during their school-days, in order to make him notice her, but 'everyone' also knew that Arthur had been in on it. Arthur had known about the potion, and let her use it on him, hoping it'd give him the courage to ask her out, since he already fancied her, but was too much of a coward to talk to her. In reality, Molly had been dousing him for over a year by that point, using weak potions that induced affection and gradually given him stronger potions, making him believe he was actually falling in love with her. She had almost been discovered, however, which is why she staged the incident that later became common knowledge. It was this incident that put her on Albus' radar as well.

To this day, Molly was still dousing Arthur with potions, not only Love-potions, but a variety of potions to keep him loyal and under her control. However, this hadn't quite turned out as Molly had planned. Septimus Weasley was no fool, a Slytherin in fact, and had become paranoid with the deaths of his two eldest sons. Because the Weasley-family was rather fertile and often producing heaps of children, the Lordship would go to the youngest male, unlike most other families where the firstborn would be the one to inherit. So, even if neither Septimus or Arthur hadn't lost any of their siblings, they would still be the ones holding the title of Lord Weasley, but this was not common knowledge. Therefore, believing his two oldest sons had been deliberately murdered for the fortune, Septimus changed his Will.

Septimus suspected Molly from the moment her name left Arthur's mouth, and he knew she had something to do with the death of his sons; he just couldn't prove it. Therefore, in his Will, Septimus set a clause for his sister-in-law, Thessaly 'Tessie' Weasley, to control all assets until she found Arthur to be worthy of his inheritance. In truth, he had spoken to Tessie about his suspicions, and Tessie agreed that Arthur was likely under the effect of potions, so they needed to keep Arthur's inheritance away from the gold-digging murderer. If Tessie were to die before Arthur could be freed, then the inheritance would go to whomever Tessie deemed worthy, or to various Charities should there be no worthy successor. Neither Molly, nor Albus, had suspected that someone was on to them, and Septimus was discreetly 'taken care of' shortly after the wedding.

Molly would have to settle for being poor, and no number of children she could pop out would make Tessie change her mind. Albus helped out, however, and discreetly rewarded her for her loyalty. Together they made a plan to get their hands on another fortune; the Potter Family Fortune. Molly's two youngest would be in on the plan, being the only two to be in any position to influence the Girl-Who-Lived while she was malleable. The twins would also be there as well, but those two hellions had their father's sense of honor, just like their older brothers, and would never agree to the plan. In fact, Albus had asked both Arthur and all of his sons, but had been forced to 'Obliviate' all of them too keep them from ruining the plan. Molly would have to keep her family from gaining suspicion, but that was easy for her talent with memory-charms.

Molly was also creative, and had come up with some ideas that might had worked if Albus' original plan had not gone so far off track. Being foreigners, Molly had counted on the Kurosaki's being clueless about how to enter Platform 9 ¾, which was why she had gone the long way that day, making sure to be loud when speaking about Muggles and the Platform. Ginny had played her part beautifully as well, but no one had taken the bait. Neither had Ron had any success in befriending the girl, in fact, he hadn't even seen her on the train. To make things worse, Percy had then made a bad impression on the girl by attempting to take away her familiar, and Ron had made an even worse impression the following morning. Ron had also made several attempt to get close to the girl after that, but the idiot had come off too aggressive and driven her further away. Ginny was going to have to do some serious damage-control next year if the boy didn't get himself together. Luckily, they had plenty of time; the Potter-girl didn't have to die until she was seventeen, they just had to make sure she married and gave birth to an heir before then.

Albus' thoughts returned to the stone. He had risked a lot by stealing the Philosopher's Stone from his old partner, but he had managed without anyone even knowing the Flamel's were even dead, and had been for some time. Albus wouldn't risk the real stone for the 'test', however, so he had a fake made before luring Voldemort to the castle. He knew the Dark Lord wouldn't resist the opportunity, and the wards had told him the exact moment the spirit had possessed his way into the castle. When Quirrell had asked, he had assured the man that the stone was safely stored at Gringotts until the Third Floor was 'secured' enough to move it. Albus had planned for the Girl-Who-Lived to witness Hagrid removing the stone from Gringotts, he had even sent a message to _tell_ the Kurosaki's that Hagrid _would_ be escorting the girl to Diagon Alley on her birthday. Only to be _told_ that other arrangements had been made and that his interference _wasn't_ appreciated.

The girl hadn't been there to take the bait, but Voldemort had, and it had made the newspapers. It was _sure_ to catch the girl's attention, as she _had_ been in Diagon Alley during that same time. Albus had been sure the girl would've taken an interest in the Third Floor after his warning during the Welcoming Feast; she was a child after all, and everyone knew that when you tell a child not to do something, then they were sure to do it. He'd had to Obliviate a few unwanted visitors, but so far so good. Even Ronald Weasley had been up there and tried using the Cerberus as a way to get close to the Girl-Who-Lived, but, unfortunately, Quirrell's Troll-incident had put a stop to that plan. Although, to be fair, Ronald probably would've failed anyway, in fact, the boy seemed to be quite incompetent, and Albus was seriously considering putting the twins under the Imperious instead. The only problem was that someone was sure to notice when the two changed behavior.

The only sign that the 'test' was going as planned, was the fact that the girl had seen the Mirror, and Albus had taken the fact that she never returned to it as a sign that she knew what the Mirror was, and would be able to use it when the time came. Albus just needed to make sure she followed Quirrell when the man went for the stone. The obstacles he had put in place could be a problem; he had staged them after the 'friends' he had _hoped_ she would make, but that hadn't happened. The obstacles were still easy enough to be beaten by the right First-years, and he'd spent quite a bit of magic on making sure that none of the other staff-members noticed this fact; so he didn't see any need to change them just yet, but he would have to watch carefully. He still had time, but if this 'test' fails; he'd have to step up his game and take more drastic measures to get that girl back on the right track.

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 _This chapter was made more as a way for me to gather my thoughts regarding Dumbledore and Molly than to write an actual chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway._

 _Also, JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR, I am **NOT** making Voldemort a good guy. I realize there might be some confusion, but all Dumbledore did was give him a little nudge in the 'right' direction; Voldemort was seduced by the Dark Arts and kept going back all on his own. He is, and will continue to be, evil._

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 **1)** Obviously this is not canon for Ariana, but I wanted to give Albus a reason to hate her.

 **2)** The idea that Lords could give their seats away in their Wills was inspired by _Again and Again_ by _Athey_. It is a Do-over story where Harry decided to let Voldemort win, after reliving his life multiple times with no end in sight. It is a Voldemort/Harry pairing, and it's one of my favorite stories.

 **3)** Most of this chapter is made up, but it's based of the wiki. I've also taken a bit of inspiration from _'Orion's Belt'_ by _'Black RoseGirl666'_ as far as the Weasley Family goes. This story is not one of my favorites, but it's interesting and different from most other 'Do-over'-type stories I've read, and it is a bashing story with some unusual pairings.


	11. Chapter 9 - Allstars

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter Nine – The Allstars and Their Courts_**

"PROTEGO!"

Four voices cast in union, and four shields stood strong, overlapping into one giant shield, and withstanding the stunners cast by the older members of their study-group. The group had scored the highest on their end-of-term exams, and the amount of spells available to the group was incredible, especially with Hermione officially in exam-prepping mode. With the four 'Returned' leading the group, the older students of the group had been able to learn so much more than they had ever learned from their teachers. It gave them hope that, when they graduated, they would be able to master all the spells they needed. One example being the Shield-spell, as most people graduated without being able to cast it properly; yet it was possibly the most important spell to master in order to defend oneself.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why they're called 'The Allstars'!" Oliver said proudly.

"Allstars?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup!" Oliver said smiling. "You four are the strongest members of each of the four Houses, so the name emphasizes that."

"If we're the 'Allstars', what does that make of the rest of you?" Tatsumi asked with a grin She had meant it as a joke, but then Oliver's smile widened.

"Well, since the 'Dragoness' is the strongest witch in Gryffindor; it's only fitting that _we_ are 'The Dragon's Court'." Oliver said proudly. He had obviously been thinking about this for a while.

The other lions of the group looked at him, then each other.

"I like it." Fred said with a laughing smile. "What about you, brother of mine?"

"I agree, my dear Gred." George said mirroring his twin.

As one, the twins then turned to Tatsumi, raised their hands in the air and fell to their knees as if worshiping her. "ALL HAIL THE DRAGONESS!" They chorused, much to the amusement of the others.

Before the holidays, the study-group had only consisted of the newly-named Allstars and the Gryffindor Quidditch-team. Though the group had started off quite large as people were attracted to Tatsumi more than anything, but had then divided into smaller groups as friendships were formed. Now, the group was larger than ever, consisting of nearly all the first-years, and quite a few older students who hadn't been in the group previously. The only firsties not present were the more prejudice ones, like Ronald and the Pug with her two Trolls, though other students had come around, like Percy, who had apologized for the terrible first impression. Others, like a first-year Ravenclaw named Morag MacDougal **(AN 1)** , had stuck up their nose and refused the offer; Morag had even called them 'weak' for depending on others to learn.

"Then we Ravenclaws would be the 'Raven's Court', right?" Lisa Turpin suggested. "It's not very creative, but as Hermione's nickname is 'the Raven', it works."

The other Ravenclaws agreed and/or shrugged. One could argue that it was incorrect as their House-banner portrait an _Eagle_ , but the other Houses called them 'Ravens' no matter how much they complained, so why not?

"Would that make us Puffs the 'Shadow's Court', then?" Susan Bones asked.

"Why not 'Badger's Court'?." Hannah Abbot asked curiously. She was Susan's roommate.

"Nah, too boring." Third-year Hufflepuff, Cedric Diggory, said smiling.

"Then _we_ shall be the 'Royal Court'. As our leader is a 'Prince'." First-year Slytherin Daphne Greengrass spoke haughtily, yet with a big smile that told everyone she was just teasing.

The group laughed. Daphne was the 'Ice Queen' of her House – much to Parkinson's fury – but they had quickly realized that behind the cold mask was a funny and warm-hearted girl who loved to tease. Her mask was set in place mostly just to piss off Parkinson, who was obsessed with Draco, but also to deter a rather large number of would-be suitors wanting a piece of the Greengrass fortune, as Daphne was the heiress to her father's estate. Daphne's mask had crumbled in a matter of minutes with Tatsumi's antics, however, and it had been quite a shock to the others, especially the Slytherins, when she had just burst out laughing during the first study-session she had joined.

Daphne and her friends, Tracy Davis and Millicent Bulstrode, had joined on the 1st of March, after deciding to accompany Theodore Nott **(AN 2)** , another Slytherin. Theo, as he preferred to be called, was a loner and had been reluctant to join, though he had stated to the girls that he was interested; hence why they dragged him there. Unfortunately, it was also Ronald Weasley's birthday, and he had also showed up, and was determined to get a kiss from Tatsumi. Most people knew how that was going to end, however, and third-year Gryffindor Lee Jordan had amused the onlookers with his announcer-talent while the hilarity ensued. As it was, Tatsumi had heard Lee all the way from the other side of the room and had strategically moved just as Ronald decided to pounce with the intention of grabbing her, bend her over, and give her a searing kiss.

He had kissed second-year Ravenclaw Marcus Belby instead, earning him a concussion and a one-way ticket to the Hospital Wing. Tatsumi had later apologized to Marcus, but the boy had just laughed it off and winked to a group of girls saying; "Hey, at least I can safely say I'm not gay now." He had also offered to keep an eye on Ron for her, but she had declined, stating she could take care of herself. He'd shrugged and told her to come to him if she ever changed her mind.

The study-group met every day after dinner, where they focused on different subjects on different days, but also after lunch on the weekends, where they usually played 'Catch-up' for those who were lagging behind. DADA was amongst those subjects that had the biggest attendance. Because no one had been able to keep the position as professor for more than a year, there was a new professor every year, causing the taught material to be scattered and full of holes. Professor Quirrell, the current DADA professor, was competent, but hard to understand thanks to his stutter. The man was also jumping at his own shadow, which didn't exactly spark confidence in his teaching. The schedules and materials that the group used, had been sent over by Remus, and were more than making up for that, however, and allowed the members of the group to work more on their own pace, and allowing the more advanced students in individual subject to help the stragglers.

Using Hermione's organization-skills, they usually started the sessions with homework, and would gradually go over to practical work, and then extra work for those who felt up for it. Mostly the group were divided by year, but since they were all there at the same time, those who finished their work early could go around and help others. They would also go to different rooms depending on the subject, and if anyone had hand-ins due, they could focus on those. People also took turns running the weekend-sessions after what the stragglers wished to practice, and often there would be groups of two per 'teacher', depending on the day's schedule, which was established at the end of the Friday-sessions. Members who didn't feel like they had anything to review or catch up on, or didn't feel like volunteering to teach, had the weekends off.

Things were going smoothly, and over the following weeks it was business as usual. The 'Tweasleys', as Tatsumi was calling the twins, were busy alternating their pranks between Ron and Pug-face Parkinson, who was giving Juvia a hard time due to her blossoming relationship with Draco. Meanwhile, Tatsumi herself was narrowing down the location of the Horcrux, which seemed to be somewhere on the seventh-floor, and trying to keep the old goat of a Headmaster off her tail. Hermione had even made it seem like she had figured out the 'Secret' behind the third floor, so all they needed to do now was to 'confront' Hagrid about the stone and the old coot _should_ be satisfied for a while.

But. When have things ever been so easy?

A noise at the back of the cabin had the half-giant hurrying the four of them inside, and had Tatsumi's instincts flaring. "Hagrid." She growled dangerously. "Where did you get that?"

As Hagrid picked up something out of the cauldron and turned around, the others could see exactly what had Tatsumi so upset; a dragon egg was sitting snuggly in Hagrid's oven-mitts.

"I got 'im in a poker-game." Hagrid said proudly as he gently sat the egg down on the table. The egg wobbled a bit; it was close to hatching.

"She!" Tatsumi snapped. "And what do you mean you _won_ her in a _Poker-game_?!"

Hagrid shrank back a bit at her tone. "Well, t'e guy I was playin' had no money, so he asked if I be interested in a trade." He explained nervously. "I've always wanted a dragon, so when I saw t'e egg I took t'e deal! Fellow said 'e didn't know what it was, an' tha' a friend had dumped it on 'im, so 'e was tryin' t'e get rid of it."

The more Hagrid spoke, the angrier Tatsumi seemed to get, and the aura of her spiritual guardian was becoming more and more visible. Hagrid may be a dragon-lover, but to take an egg that was stolen from its mother, as compensation for _a gambling-debt_ was not okay. Sure, under similar circumstances, he may have saved the egg from being eaten as a delicacy or something, but given what was hidden on the third floor, under _Hagrid's_ pet Cerberus, it was more than likely that the man's 'gambling-buddy' was actually Quirrell in disguise, and who knows how _he_ had gotten hold of that egg.

"Hagrid?" Juvia started. "How exactly are you planning to care for the dragon? Your cabin is made of wood."

"It'll be fine!" Hagrid insisted; the egg's movements were making him excited.

"Fine, my ass!" Tatsumi yelled angrily. "She'll outgrow your cabin in a matter of weeks! And don't give me any shit about having the cabin magically reinforced; if you trap her in here I will gladly let Ryujin try out some of the suggestions he's been giving me!"

At that moment, the egg suddenly shattered, revealing a tiny, cat-sized Norwegian Ridgeback wobbling on the table, the baby-dragon looked around, and seemed to zero-in on Hagrid, who cooed. "Ah. Bless! He knows his mommy."

Almost as a response, the baby-dragon gave a satisfied kurr, but then hiccupped and burped a small stream of flame that reached Hagrid's beard. Quickly putting out the fire, Hagrid then caught a glimpse of someone in the window.

"Now who migh' tha' be?" He asked, making the others turn towards the window just in time to see Ron take off.

They were out after curfew.

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"Never in my life have I ever seen someone so irresponsible!" Professor McGonagall roared. "What were you thinking, Mr. Hagrid, showing a _dragon_ to underage children!?"

Draco raised his hand. "To be fair." He started. "The four of us may have the bodies of children, but we're still very much adults in mind."

McGonagall rounded on him. "Then what were you doing sneaking out after curfew, Mr. Malfoy!?" She snapped.

Draco calmly gave her a look. "We weren't sneaking out." He said. "You can ask the portraits by the castle-entrance; we had a good half-hour before curfew when we left, and we hadn't been planning on staying that long. The dragon, however, had other ideas."

"I see." McGonagall said sourly. "And _why_ were you visiting Mr. Hagrid so late?" She asked suspiciously.

It was Juvia who answered. "You mean _besides_ the fact that Hagrid seems to be the only person inside this entire castle who won't dismiss our concerns outright?" She said rather sarcastically.

As per **_Magic's_** advice, there had been a previous incident with McGonagall regarding the stone, and she had done just that. McGonagall seemed to twitch at the comment, but didn't argue.

"The five of you will be serving detention at the end of the week." McGonagall said.

"WHAT?!" Ron yelled. "But I was the one who told on them; I should be rewarded!"

"Be that as it may, Mr. Weasley." McGonagall said strictly. "You were still out after curfew, and must take the consequences."

Tatsumi raised her hand. "Can we help out with the dragon in the meantime?" She asked completely unbothered by the whole situation.

McGonagall looked at her in thought, then sighed heavily. "I doubt I will be able to keep you away anyway, Miss Kurosaki." She said almost defeated. "Yes, you may help Mr. Hagrid until the dragon is sent away."

Tatsumi cheered. Norberta, as the dragon was named, was going to be sent to the Dragon Reserve in Romania, but it would take a few days for everything to be arranged **(AN 3)**. McGonagall pinched her nose, likely hoping she wouldn't regret this decision, but knowing she probably would.

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The next day after classes, the Allstars were let inside the wards that had been set up around Hagrid's hut, and Tatsumi could be seen playing tag with the hyper baby-dragon while the others were busy putting out the fires that occurred. Percy had been chosen to oversee the group and was spending more time berating his brother, than watching the others. Draco was wisely keeping his distance to the baby-dragon, who did not seem to like him at all. Ron was even less liked by the dragon, yet he still insisted on handling the baby in an attempt to impress Tatsumi, who was not going to hand the dragon over to him anytime soon. Tatsumi, however, was the dragon's favorite next to Hagrid, and was the only one to handle the baby without the need for protective gear.

Everything was fine until the group was set to return to the castle for curfew. Tatsumi put Norberta back in the basket Hagrid had made into a bed for her, and ignored Ron as she walked to her friends. She heard Ron mutter something under his breath, and turned around just in time to see Norberta bite down on the redhead's hand. His scream immediately got everyone's attention, and the professors that had showed up to escort them back to the castle rushed towards him as Norberta fled her basket and jumped back into Tatsumi's arms.

"You idiot! Why did you disturb her?!" Tatsumi snapped.

"You'd think that with so many brothers that he would know the school moto by heart." Hermione commented.

"Sadly, Ron has never been very interested in the school." Percy said with a sigh. "Every time someone would talk about school, he would groan and complain."

Juvia looked at him curiously. "You look as if you expected this." She said.

"I did." Percy said deadpanned. "Ron just can't leave well enough alone, especially when he comes off as the least competent; yet, at the same time, he can't be bothered to actually know what he's doing and ends up causing incidents like this. I see it all the time when we're de-gnoming the yard; he just _has_ to do better than the rest of us, and as a result he's been bitten more times than the rest of the family combined."

"Well, hopefully the venom is going to keep him out of our hair for a while." Draco said.

"Venom?!" Ron shrieked.

Draco gave him a 'look'. "Norwegian Ridgebacks are venomous." He said. "Why do you think we were wearing the protective gear?"

" _She_ didn't use 'em!" Ron argued pointing at Tatsumi, who was cradling the purring baby dragon, and stroking her finger under its chin.

He shrank back at the glare she sent him, however, and was finally dragged away by a professor to the Hospital Wing. They could hear him complaining the entire way, acting as if he was going to drop dead at any second, and sounding as if he expected everyone to act as if the greatest person on the planet had just died. Meanwhile, Tatsumi once again laid Norberta in her basket, and this time she let out a low rumbling-sound that she remembers Igneel using at bed-time to get her to fall asleep. The baby was asleep in seconds, much to the awe of everyone watching, including professor McGonagall, who was gaping like a fish, and Hagrid, who was crying with pride.

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Ron spent the rest of the week in the Hospital Wing, his hand was badly infected, but to the Gryffindors it was possibly the most peaceful week they had had since the school-year started. Tatsumi visited Hagrid and Norberta every day until the Dragon Handlers finally came to collect the dragon that Saturday. Then, at 11 PM the next night, the Allstars and Ron were led by Filch to Hagrid's Hut for their detention.

"'Ello guys, Mr. Weasley." Hagrid greeted them, sniffling pitifully.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked.

"I'm- I'm worried about Norberta! What if she misses me? What if the other dragons are mean to 'er?"

"Oh, pull yourself together man." Filch snapped at him unsympathetically.

Hagrid blew his nose on a huge handkerchief and did as he was told. "Alright, we're goin' into the forest tonight." He told the kids.

You could instantly tell that this was the reason Filch had stuck around for; he smirked evilly and turned to look at the kids, but frowned in disappointment when none of the Allstars reacted to the news, in fact, Tatsumi was scarily happy to be going into the forest; she'd wanted to go for a while. Hermione had pulled out a book before they were even led down there, and had not stopped reading since. Draco and Juvia were both indifferent, but Ron was another case entirely.

"B-B-But there are… _th-things_ in there! L-Like… like werewolves!" He said shaking shock in utter terror.

"The moon isn't even full, you moron." Draco said annoyed at the redhead's stupidity.

"Let's go." Hagrid said firmly, hefting a crossbow. "Come on."

"What exactly will we be doing in there?" Hermione asked having finally put down her book.

"Somethin's huntin' the unicorns." Hagrid explained. "I foun' one dead a few weeks ago. So, now, it's our job to find the poor beasts."

Draco, Juvia, and Hermione followed obediently while Tatsumi grabbed Ron by the hair when the redhead tried to flee, and dragged him into the forest. She didn't let go of him until they were deep enough in that the redhead wouldn't dare run off in fear of getting lost.

"It's curious that our detention is in the forest." Hermione said lowly so that Hagrid wouldn't hear her. "I mean, I can understand that they want to teach us how dangerous it is to be out after curfew, but this doesn't seem to be very well thought out."

"Yeah, because sending a bunch of firsties into a forest that's so dangerous that it's forbidden even to the seventh-years, is such a _great_ idea." Tatsumi said sarcastically.

"Not to mention we're looking for something powerful enough to kill unicorns." Draco said. "And our only protection is a crossbow."

"Had we been normal first-years, our spell-repertoire would be severely limited as well." Juvia added.

"I smell a set-up." Tatsumi growled.

After a while, they found a small pool of silver blood, then another, and another. They continued to follow the trail, with Ron practically clinging to Hagrid, and the Allstars were becoming angrier with every pool of blood they saw. Unicorns were sacred, and they already knew _who_ they would be encountering tonight.

"We'll 'ave to split up." Hagrid said as we reached a fork in the forest and there was no silver pool to guide them further.

Tatsumi used her nose to choose a path, and without a word she started walking with Juvia close behind.

"Um, girls…?" Hagrid asked worried, but stayed put.

Hermione nearly followed as well, but Draco stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder, and shaking his head as she looked at him. A silent communication past between them, and Hermione nodded; they were going to be back-up, and keep Hagrid and Ron safe in the meantime. Meanwhile, Juvia was following Tatsumi dutifully. Though her feelings for Draco were blossoming, Gray would always be a very important person in her heart, and his happiness was just as important to her as her own; therefore, she had sworn to make sure his soul-mate made it back to him in one piece.

The girls walked for a few minutes before they came to a clearing. A cloaked figure was bent over a motionless Unicorn, drinking from a wound on the unicorn's neck. Sensing the unicorn was still clinging to life, Tatsumi Shunpo'ed and struck the figure with her 'Fire-dragon's Iron Fist'. The figure was thrown quite a few feet and skidded a few more before a tree stopped him. He struggled to get to his feet, and stood there looking at them, as if contemplating his next move. Juvia's 'Water Slicer' made the decision for him, however, and he abruptly fled. The tree he had been standing in front of had taken the full force of the attack, and came down with a loud crash. Tatsumi would've followed him, if she hadn't known it was Quirrell, and that she could get to the man any time she pleased. Instead, she bent down and put her hands over the wound on the Unicorn's neck. Kaido, Healing Kido, wasn't her forte, but with the possibility of being watched by Dumbledore, she didn't want to reveal the true power of her Shun Shun Rikka just yet. Luckily the nature of the wound was rather simple, a clean cut, which was easy to handle.

"Truly astonishing." A male voice said as she finished and got up as the Unicorn got to its feet.

Tatsumi looked over to see a centaur standing next to Juvia. The unicorn nuzzled her shoulder in thanks, and she petted it on the muzzle before it heard its herd in the distance and took off to find its family.

"The stars have foretold great things about you, Chosen Ones." The centaur said. "But, what you have just done is a miracle. I am Firenze, my services are at your disposal for as long as you shall need them."

"We are grateful for your help, Firenze of the centaurs." Juvia said bowing slightly.

Just then, Hagrid and the rest of the group came out of the brush; they had heard the tree come crashing down and gone to investigate.

"Ye girls alright?" Hagrid asked.

"We're fine, Hagrid." Tatsumi said, her arms casually up behind her head.

"I see ye met Firenze." Hagrid said, nodding cautiously to the centaur, who in turn turned to Tatsumi and Juvia.

"I must leave you now, Chosen Ones." He said. "But we shall meet again."

"Goodbye, Firenze." Juvia said politely.

"See ya." Tatsumi said with a wave.

As Firenze disappeared into the brush, Hagrid decided it was time to take the kids back to the castle. It was well after midnight, and the kids had classes in the morning.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 **1)** There are a lot of students named in the novels, but has very little info other than they started Hogwarts at the same time as Harry Potter. Morag was amongst these students, but her sorting was unknown. Though it _is_ debated whether or not Morag is actually a renamed Isobel MacDougal, who, according to J.K. Rowling (see Pottermore or the wiki), was originally named Katrina. Isobel was a pureblooded witch sorted into Ravenclaw, but she was never actually featured in the published novels, while Morag was.

 **2)** I used Theodore because I wanted to do something that was a bit different. I thought about using Blaise Zabini instead, but I already have him as a 'nice guy' in _Sleeping Dragons_ and in a lot of the stories I read do use him as an asset to the main characters, but it's gotten a bit old. Theo, however, has no real personality-traits listed on the wiki, except being a loner and laughing at Hermione's blood-status; so I have a bit more creative freedom with him. I also wanted to have some hostile Slytherins I could actually name, and Zabini fits that role.

 **3)** On the timeline I copied from the wiki, Norberta hatches on the 24th of April, and Harry and the others are caught out after curfew on May 9th after sending her off with one of Charlie's coworkers. Their detention is then on the 13th, but in the movie the group is caught at Hagrid's cabin on the day Norberta hatches, so I've gone with a combination of the two. In this story, Norberta hatches on May 5th, so there isn't such a big time-gap.


	12. Chapter 10 - The Philosopher's Stone

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter Ten – The Philosopher's Stone_**

Tatsumi was in spirit-form and out after curfew. She had done one last search for the Horcrux before their exams, and finally she had found the darn thing. She had been about to give up after her third passing around the seventh floor, then she had noticed a door she had never seen during her previous searches. Opening the door, she had found a room packed full of junk; all kinds of junk. Her necklace had led her to a particular pile where she had found what looked to be a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, and on the statue's head was something that was believed to have been lost a long time ago; Ravenclaw's Diadem. How Voldemort had found and made the thing into a Horcrux was a mystery, but he had obviously been counting on the item's fame to prevent its destruction. Luckily, Kisuke would be able to remove the soul-piece without causing any harm to the diadem.

Tatsumi had already sent the diadem to Kisuke using a 'Vanishing Box' **(AN 1)** , and was on her way back to her dorm when she heard two people talking ahead of her. Snape was confronting Quirrell **(AN 2)**. Not knowing if Quirrell could see her, or if Voldemort was able to sense her, she stepped into the shadows and stayed quiet. When the confrontation was over, she contemplated following Snape and inform him of the big mistake he had just made, but decided against it. Snape himself had informed Ichigo that Dumbledore was always watching him; she couldn't risk it. She did notice something curious though, she hadn't noticed it before, but her necklace had a very small reaction to Quirrell. The reaction was almost unnoticeable, and had she not been aware that Quirrell was possessed; this would've been a really big clue.

Back at her dorm, she sent a Hellbutterfly to her parents regarding Snape's confrontation, then crawled under the curtains around her bed where Kit was waiting for her. She re-entered her body and put Kit's Soul-candy onto a pillow inside a small box that looked like a powder compact with lilies decorating the lid. She then put the box under her pillow and tried to get some sleep.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

The first four days of June was packed with exams. Normally, the twins would be trying to lessen the stress with their pranks, but with their promise to Kisuke, things were unusually quiet for the older students. It had been unnerving at first, but once the others learned _why_ the twins were studying instead of fooling around, they calmed down. Ying and Yang were a different story though, and zoomed around the Gryffindor common-room in the evenings, playing tag and making the students laugh. Sometimes, Kaito would join in the fun as well, but mostly he stayed in Tatsumi's lap, enjoying a good petting or grooming.

June 4th was the last day of exams, their last being 'History of Magic', a class most students used for naps. The Allstars and their Courts celebrated the end of their exams that evening, but the Allstars snuck away when Tatsumi felt a pull from Fawkes. Once alone, Fawkes flamed in and landed on her shoulder.

"Dumbledore left?" Tatsumi asked.

The phoenix nodded, projecting an image through their bond, of the Headmaster receiving a letter, smirking, and then hastily leaving for the Ministry. Fawkes knew the Headmaster had been waiting for Quirrell's attempt to lure him out of the castle, and this was apparently it.

"Quirrell's going for the stone." Tatsumi told the others. "And Dumbles is letting him."

They had already planned for this, and hopefully the twins would be distracting the Courts while they were doing so. One of the twins would also send a message to Kisuke, so hopefully a Soul Reaper would be in the area to try and capture Voldemort as he fled.

Tatsumi turned back to Fawkes. "Did you break the last of the bond yet?" She asked. The phoenix shook his head and let out an impatient trill. "I know, I know. But we need to make it look natural." Tatsumi stroked the bird's feathers soothingly before he flashed back to the headmaster's office.

"Let's go." Tatsumi told the others. "Hogwarts told me Quirrell's already gone past Fluffy."

 **o000o**

Getting past the Cerberus was easy, as Tatsumi had returned several times to play with the puppy, and the Devil's Snare just passed the trapdoor was cinders in seconds. Draco provided stairs to get them to the bottom, and in the next room, they were met with a locked door. Hermione tried the 'Alohamora'-spell, but the door remained locked.

"Juvia hears fluttering." Juvia said, making everyone look up.

"Are those birds, or butterflies?" Hermione asked.

"Neither." Tatsumi and Draco chorused.

"They're keys." Draco said. "We must be looking at one that matches the door."

Everyone looked for a key that fit the description. Ignoring the broom in the middle of the room. "Bet you a Galleon those keys are spelled to attack as soon as someone grabs the broom." Tatsumi said. No one took the bet.

"Juvia sees it!" Juvia suddenly exclaimed. "Water Lock!"

Trapping the key in a ball of water, Juvia brought the key down and used it to unlock the door. In the next room, they were then faced with a giant stone chess-board.

"There's no sign of anyone being here before us." Draco noticed. "Either Quirrell got past the set without playing, or the set was magically repaired as he excited the room."

"I can't see him locking the last door behind himself either." Hermione said. "The obstacles are re-setting themselves."

"But why?" Juvia asked.

"It's a test, remember?" Tatsumi said. "I mean, what's the point of making the obstacles easy enough for first-years, when Quirrell was just going to destroy them anyway?"

"She's right." Draco said. "There's no reason for the obstacles to reset, other than to delay those coming after Quirrell."

"So what do we do about the chess-set?" Hermione asked.

"I'll play." Draco said. "I'll take the place of the King."

"What about us?" Juvia asked.

"Who says we all have to be on the board? **(AN 3)** " Draco asked and stepped onto the chess-set.

Less than five minutes passed before the opposing king dropped its sword as Draco called 'checkmate'. The group moved on into the next room, finding a dead troll in their path.

"Is this the same troll?" Hermione asked.

"It is." Juvia confirmed.

"Let's move on." Draco said.

As they entered the next room, flames blocked both their way forward, as well as their way back. On a table stood a number of potions, and a parchment with a logic-riddle. It didn't take Hermione long to figure out what each of the potions did, but the potion to go forward was very small. It contained only two doses.

"Looks like only two of us are going." Hermione said.

"Says who?!" Tatsumi asked.

"There's only two doses." Hermione said.

"And Quirrell is in front of us." Tatsumi said.

"That doesn't…" Hermione started then realized something and looked back to the bottle in her hand. "This bottle is full. _All_ the bottles are full."

"We know for a fact that Quirrell drunk from the potion." Draco added. "So the bottle must refill itself, like the obstacles earlier were reset."

"Except for the troll." Tatsumi commented.

"So we can all go through." Hermione concluded and uncorked the bottle. "But how much time does it take to refill it?"

"It should be instant." Draco said. "But the spell could be delayed, or set to refill once the room is empty."

"That mean we'll have to go back, before we're able to go forward." Juvia said. "But mixing potions of opposite effects could be dangerous."

They stood there in silence for a minute, not knowing how to proceed.

"I could try to eat the flames." Tatsumi eventually offered.

"No!" Hermione said strictly. "You're not eating a ritual-flame; it could make you sick!"

"Juvia agrees with Mione." Juvia said. "We don't know how those flames were made."

Tatsumi sulked a bit, and stalked over to the fire, kicking it. Being a ritual-fire, she wasn't sure if her immunity would hold, but she noticed a tickling-sensation as her leg passed through the flames. Taking a chance, she stepped into the fire, and stood there noticing that neither her clothes, nor her skin was burning.

She turned to the others, who realized what was going on. With Tatsumi immune to the fire, there were two doses for the rest of them. It sparked an argument. All three wanted to go, and Juvia insisted Draco be the one to stay behind, due to who his father was. Meanwhile, Draco argued that he had been seen with them all year, and staying back now wouldn't make any difference.

"Oi! We've wasted enough time already!" Tatsumi yelled at them. "You three can argue over the potion if you want, but I'm going in!" She then turned and started walking through the fire to the final room where she saw Quirrell standing in front of the Mirror of Erised.

"Hello child. Expecting someone else?" Quirrell asked almost tauntingly.

"You were rather obvious actually." Draco stated as he walked into the room with Juvia.

Hermione had chosen to stay behind, just to stop the arguing.

"Do tell." Quirrell said, scowling.

"Oh please, we could tell your weak-act was a fake from the start." Tatsumi said.

A snake-like hissing laughter filled the room. " **Brave girl. Let me speak to them, Quirrell, face to face."**

"Master, you are not strong enough…" Quirrell looked worried, and grimaced as if he was in great pain.

" **I am strong enough… for this."** Voldemort said.

The turban was removed, and the reflection in the mirror showed a snake-like, red eyed face with no nose on the back of Quirrell's head.

"Out of all the weaklings out there that you could possess, you chose this idiot." Tatsumi taunted.

Voldemort laughed. **"It's true I could have done better, but I didn't have much choice at the time."** He said.

"Weakling." Tatsumi muttered.

Quirrell growled. "Shut up you little…" He was interrupted a blade of water zipped by his head, leaving a cut on his cheek.

Voldemort laughed again, seemingly amused by Quirrell's fear. " **You act rather like your parents, you know."** He said looking at Tatsumi. He was ignoring the others. **"They were fearless as well, not once did they beg for their own lives. I killed your father first, he fought bravely, but your mother didn't have to die, she tried to protect you. I respected that. It was a shame to kill her."**

"If you're trying to distract me with anger, it's going to take more than that." Tatsumi said putting on a red glove with a skull.

She then used her speed, putting her gloved hand on Quirrell's forehead and ejected Voldemort's spirit from the man's body. Voldemort's spirit was thrown into the mirror, smashing it as Quirrell's body slumped to the floor. A moment passed as they just waited for the next move. Then, black mist shot up from the shards and rushed at Tatsumi, who was about to call on her Shun Shun Rikka's shield. Instead, Fawkes flamed into the room, flying between Voldemort and his target, making Voldemort swerved away from the flames, and he departed as his laughter trailed behind him eerily.

Tatsumi glanced back at the mirror, and something caught her eye. She walked closer to it, and found it was a palm-size, blood-red stone. She wasn't sure, but she believed it was a chunk of dark garnet. Fawkes then alerted them that Dumbledore had returned and was on his way. They ran back to where Hermione was waiting, and Fawkes transported them to another part of the castle, a place where they could easily return to their dorms unnoticed. Fawkes was told to go to Karakura, as he had broken the bond with Dumbledore, and would be safer with Tatsumi's parents.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

At the End-of-Term-Feast, the Great Hall was covered in green and silver banners; Slytherin had won both the House-cup and the Quidditch-cup **(AN 4)**. Headmaster Dumbledore looked as if he was straining to keep the fake smile on his face. He had lost his phoenix, _and_ any chance of stealing the House-cup from Slytherin. He had planned to use the incident in the third-floor chambers to award some last-minute points, but when he arrived in the last chamber, there was no one there! He couldn't even prove that anyone had been down there! The other teachers thought Voldemort had smashed the mirror in anger when he couldn't get the stone, and had left Quirrell's dead body where it fell. Unbeknownst to him, Voldemort had nearly been captured that night, but the Soul Reaper sent to collect him had arrived late, and had missed the opportunity.

The students were excited to be done with their exams, but they would still remain at the castle for another two weeks. In three days they would receive their exam-results, and they would be reviewing the exams in class over the next week. Students who failed their tests also had the opportunity to re-take their tests. Students would then finally return home on Saturday the 20th. Well, _most_ students would return home; Juvia was going to Japan with the Kurosaki's, as her father had authorized for her to live with them. Lord Moon's health had taken a dive recently, and was going out of the country for treatment.

As for the chunk of garnet that Tatsumi had retrieved from the Mirror of Erised, she gave it to Draco, who wished to have it made into a necklace for Juvia.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Lucius Malfoy was waiting for the Hogwarts Express to arrive at King's Cross. His wife was by his side, but, truthfully, he would rather be somewhere else. He was afraid of his son, but as a prominent Pureblood Lord he had to keep up appearances. It wasn't easy, however, the boy had scared more than just his parents. Business-deals and marriage-contracts had both been thoroughly ruined. Lucius still had nightmares of the day the marriage-contract with the Parkinson's had gone down the drain. It had been the first and only meeting between Draco and Pansy, and the girl had lost a toe. Lord Parkinson had feared for his daughter's life and cut all connections to the Malfoy-family.

To a prominent pureblood Lord, having an unbetroth child was a mayor disgrace, but after the incident with Parkinson, no one was willing to sign a contract for their daughters. Recently, however, there had been a rumor floating around, one Narcissa had found out originated with the Parkinson's. Apparently, young Pansy – who was still very much determined to become Mrs. Malfoy one day, despite her parents' wishes – had written home, complaining about how another girl was 'stealing' Draco away from her. It made the Malfoy's curious, as their son had never shown any interest in girls, especially not the ones that threw themselves at him.

When the Hogwarts Express finally arrived, the Malfoy's scowered the train for their son. They spotted him as he stepped off the train, and were surprised when he held out his hand to someone behind him. A feminine hand reached out to him and, like a gentleman, he helped the girl as she stepped onto the platform, holding her skirt so she could see where she stepped. When the Malfoy's saw the smile the boy gave the blue-haired girl, it was no doubt in their minds; their son was in love.

"I need to speak with Lord Moon at the earliest convenience." Lord Malfoy told his wife.

 _(End of year one)_

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 ** _Author's Notes_**

 **1)** 'Vanishing Boxes' are basically 'Vanishing Closets', only shaped differently. They're not canon, but I've seen similar boxes in other fanfics, including _Summer of Independence_ by _redfrog_ which is one of my favorite 'Harry-gets-independent-after-Sirius-dies' stories. It is packed full of Quidditch, and if you're interested in that you should definitely check it out.

 **2)** I know that in the books, this confrontation happens _before_ Norberta hatches, and that Harry later hears Quirrell arguing with someone he _thinks_ is Snape, but since I chose not to mention the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor Quidditch match, I found it hard to incorporate the confrontation at that point in time.

 **3)** I just thought about this; in the books/movies, why did Harry, Ron and Hermione all go onto the board? There was no indication that they had to, and Ron probably could have won a lot faster if he didn't have to worry about getting his friends hurt or killed.

 **4)** It's never clearly stated who won the Quidditch-cup, but according to the Wiki it is strongly suggested that Slytherin won it.


	13. Chapter 11 - The Teeth-sparkling Monster

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 _Author's Notes_

 ** _(SCROLL DOWN FOR CHAPER 11)_**

 _Dear Readers._

 _Before you get started on 'Year 2', I would like to inform you that some changes have been made to 'Year 1'. I would also encourage you all to notify me if something confuses you. Though I might not realize it immediately, it could easily mean I've screwed up somewhere and it makes me more aware of potential mistakes when I re-read my story._

 _One example was brought to me by a reviewer who was confused by how people already knew who Tatsumi was. Shortly after, I re-read my story and realized that the confusion was not unfounded; I had made, not one, but **two** relatively big mistakes in Chapter 2, during the conversation between Tatsumi and Draco in Madam Malkin's shop._

 _First, I implied that Tatsumi had been hidden from the wizard-world, which is not the case; she's been very much actively involved with the wizard-world for years and therefore her Japanese name is well-known even in Britain. I changed to dialogue somewhat to, hopefully, make it less confusing. Another mistake was made when Tatsumi said her adopted family was neither magical nor mundane, which contradicts what I wrote in Chapter 1; Ichigo and his sisters are all magical, as their mother had been a witch._

 _I also noticed that I never explained how the Kurosaki's could be considered a Noble family, so I've added a short explanation for this._

 _I've also thought about creating an 'Encyclopedia', just to have a place where I could explain some of the things I come up with, but I never seem to get to doing it. For instance, I'd like to explain my thoughts on the ASS and its differences from the British Ministry of Magic. I'd also like to explain more about Avalon and how I imagine Soul Society to be divided into 'territories', so sometime in the future I will get my thought together and actually write it down somewhere, because I use these ideas more than once._

 _I also decided to use **some** old written material of mine for 'Year 2', but I wrote that material a **long** time ago. I actually don't remember how long it's been, but I do remember that my writing was **heavily** inspired by other stories I read at the time, so much so that I was actually copying more than anything else, **so most of the material** **CAN'T be used** just out of respect for other authors. _

_That being said there will be parts in 'Year 2' that are inspired by what was one of my favorite series at the time. **Raising Cain** by **Shivera** is the third installment of a Harry Potter/Sayuki – crossover series that is hilarious, though I was turned off completely while reading the fifth installment, which I never finished, and honestly, I was losing interest already in the fourth installment. _

_I actually had to skim through 'Raising Cain' again, just to figure out just how much I had originally copied so that I could **change what I had written** , and make sure none of that made it into my story. It's been so long that I can't even tell what I made up by myself and what was born from the stories I read, so if you read something you think came from other stories, **and I've NOT mentioned it or given credit to any authors,** I'd like it if you told me about it, so I can check for myself. Though since I never got past Year 2 during my previous writing, I doubt I missed much._

 _I also found a film-manuscript online that I've been using, just to save time on translating dialog, so certain parts will be copied from that._

 _But, I think that's it. So please enjoy the **entire** 'Year 2'; I was on a roll this month, and I hope you like it._

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Eleven – The Evil Teeth-sparkling Monster_**

Tatsumi had all her closest friends over for her birthday. They had been here for a few days already, but the Tweasley's had already spent most of the summer living in Kisuke's shop, where they worked for the summer. Severus had spent most of the summer here as well, brewing potions for the clinic, which now served both Magical and Mundane – as well as both human and non-human – patients. In fact, most of their new regulars were local werewolves. Karin had also specialized in house-calls, visiting mostly non-humans who lived close to the town, but didn't wish to travel in amongst humans for a variety of reasons.

Severus, though clearly unhappy in the beginning, had been told exactly why confronting Quirrell had been a mayor mistake, and had finally realized that Dumbledore was most definitely _not_ the right horse to bet his money on. Dumbledore had never even bothered to warn the _only_ spy inside the Dark Lord's Inner Circle, that Voldemort himself was possessing Quirrell, and Severus knew the Dark Lord would now be wary of him. His role as a spy was on thin ice, and his usefulness to both sides was in danger of running out before the war even started up again. He'd been much more cooperative since, and was currently reading the newspaper and sipping his coffee as the soon-to-be-second-year-students played poker on the living-room floor.

"You're joining the team this year, right?" Draco asked Tatsumi. He dropped two cards and drew two new.

"Yeah." Tatsumi said dropping three cards and drawing. "You trying out?"

"My father insisted." Draco said. "He even bribed the team with the new Nimbus brooms to secure me a spot as the new Seeker."

"Why did he do that?" Hermione asked curiously. She dropped three cards as well and drew.

"I mentioned that I wanted to try out." Draco explained. "And he happens to be scared of me. Though for all I know, it could be another political play; his popularity took a dive after my betrothal to Parkinson was cancelled."

"Juvia received a letter from Father." Juvia said. She dropped two cards and drew. "Lord Malfoy has been very persistent in trying to contact him."

"My father has been trying to get another marriage-contract since Parkinson's was cancelled." Draco explained. "I believe he saw us at the platform and decided to try again."

"Juvia cannot say if Father will accept or not." Juvia said, though clearly not comfortable with the news.

"At the moment he can't." Tatsumi said. "My dad has temporary guardianship of you, so he'll have to agree if the contract is to be signed."

"That's right." Juvia said relaxing.

"Three Aces. Beat that!" Hermione suddenly said.

Juvia and Tatsumi both dropped their cards on the floor, signaling they had nothing.

"Straight flush, I win!" Draco bragged and collected the pile of candy which they had used as a pot. It consisted mostly of chocolate and Bloodpops.

Hermione sulked, she really wanted that chocolate. Draco handed her a small bar as conciliation. He also gave Tatsumi back her Bloodpops, as there was no way he was going to eat them. In fact, it was quite devious plan, betting Bloodpops that none of the others wanted meant she always got them back if one of the others won. The others didn't mind as long as they didn't make up more than 40% of her total bet.

 **o000o**

"Euphemia Potter must not go back to Hogwarts!"

Tatsumi had woken up to find a house-elf in her room, muttering to itself, and was now starring at the elf somewhat dumbfounded. She looked the elf up and down, and the tea-towel he was wearing gave her an idea of who he belonged to. She got up of bed and grabbed the elf, who was shocked to be touched, and carried him under her arm to a new guest-section that had been recently added under the house. She then headed straight for Draco's room and knocked.

When Draco opened the door, he looked absolutely pissed, but before he could open his mouth to yell at her, she held the elf right up under his nose. Seconds passed as Draco's brain struggled to process what he was seeing.

"Dobby, what the fuck?!" He finally yelled.

The elf whimpered.

 **o000o**

"Dobby, please explain why you're here." Draco said pinching his nose. Everyone had been woken up and were now gathered in the living-room.

"There be a plot! A plot to make terrible things! If Euph-phemia Potter goes b-back to Hogwarts she w-will be in m-most terrible danger!" The elf stuttered, unable to ignore the order.

"My name is Tatsumi Kurosaki, thank you!" Tatsumi snapped.

"Did Lucius make you come here?" Draco persisted.

"M-Master L-Lucius doesn't know." The elf whispered, his eyes looking to the floor. "If M-Master knew Dobby was here…" The elf let out a loud whimper and started banging his head against the coffee-table

"Stop that!" Draco snapped, grabbing the elf by the wrist and pulling him away from the table, then he forced the elf to look at him. "Tatsu is my friend. Tell me why she's in danger, so I can protect her!"

The elf looked shocked, then seemed to contemplate what to do, but either way he couldn't ignore an order. "M-Master Lucius has been acting strange." He said. "He's be hearing rumors of raids, and has been selling dark items quickly."

"He's selling items from his collection?" Draco repeated surprised. "He must be _really_ worried about those raids then."

"Yes, yes." Dobby said nodding repeatedly. "He's be very worried, but… he also be talking to himself… about a monster at Hogwarts, and filthy Mudbloods – Master's word, not Dobby's!" The elf pulled his ears.

"It's alright, Dobby." Draco said gently. "Did he say anything else about this monster?"

Dobby shook his head. "Just that the monster will kill the unworthy ones." He said.

Draco looked at the others.

"You think he's talking about the Chamber of Secrets?" Tatsumi asked thoughtfully. "It's mentioned in some of the texts Godric left behind, but only shortly. He believed Salazar hid his familiar down there."

"What was his familiar?" Hermione asked. "Where there a lot of texts?"

"It didn't say." Tatsumi said. "And I can show you copies of the text later, if you want."

Hermione did a little victory-dance at the offer.

"How is Lord Malfoy going to do anything about a monster, if no one knows where it is?" Juvia asked the elf.

"Dobby doesn't know." The elf admitted. "Dobby just knows he be doing _something_."

"Father was Voldemort's right hand man." Draco thought out loud. "Maybe the Dark Lord told him something, as he's supposedly Salazar Slytherin's descendant."

"He still needs to get inside the castle though." Ichigo reminded them.

"My father is a member of the School's Board of Governors." Draco told them. "Getting inside won't be hard, but he still has to sneak away, which is easier said than done."

"No way Dumbles lets a known Death Eater roam the castle freely." Tatsumi said.

"Unless it fits his plan." **_Magic_** said, having just appeared.

"Maggie. Good morning." Ichigo greeted.

"Want some tea?" Yuzu offered.

"No, thank you." **_Magic_** said. "I actually wish to borrow Dobby, if I may?"

The group looked surprised. "Okay?" Draco said.

Dobby however seemed frightened by ** _Magic_** and clung to Draco's pajama-pants.

"It's alright, Dobby." Draco said. "She's a friend, she won't hurt you."

Dobby nodded and walked over to **_Magic_** who held out her hand for him to take. Dobby glanced back at Draco one last time before taking her hand. **_Magic_** then turned to the others. "The rest of you should get some sleep." She said, and then they were gone.

Looking at each other, the rest could only shrug and go back to bed.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

News of the raids came out a few days after Dobby's visit; a number of Dark Pureblood homes had been raided by Ministry officials, including Malfoy Manor. Lord Malfoy had expressed outrage to the media, even playing on the fact that Draco was currently in Japan, visiting the Savior-of-the-Wizard-world for her birthday, to make it seem as if he had been unjustly targeted due to his past. Rita Skeeter, a popular writer for the 'Daily Prophet', had made him look like a victim, using Draco's friendship with both Tatsumi and Hermione as proof that Lord Malfoy had turned his life around after the war, where he had – supposedly under the Imperious Curse – joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Draco's only comment to the article had been that they obviously hadn't found the secret room his father kept the most valuable items of his collection. He had also warned the others that Skeeter was his father's favorite for a reason.

A week later, it was time to return to Britain for a short visit; the kids had gotten their Equipment-lists earlier, and had gotten most of it during a trip to Kyoto, but weren't able to get a hold of their books. Therefore, they also needed a trip to Diagon Alley, and had stayed a night at the Leaky Cauldron. Unfortunately, each room was equipped with a talking mirror, and Tatsumi did _not_ like the mirror in the room she shared with Hermione.

"Rise and shine, darlings!" The mirror sang in a female happy-happy tone that made Tatsumi's skin crawl. "It's a beautiful day, and the sun is shining. You don't want to miss out do you?"

Tatsumi groaned, pulling the cover over her head, willing the darn mirror to go away. But alas. "Oh come on darlings, don't be stubborn." The mirror continues in the same sugary tone. Tatsumi swore to Inari that if that thing called her 'darling' one more time, she was going to throw a shoe at it. "Darling, do _not_ waste such a beau-* ** _SMASH!*_** "

Tatsumi growled sitting up in the bed; not only had that darn thing called her that horrible word again, but it had switched from the happy-happy sing-song voice to the slightly-strict-mother get-your-ass-out-of-bed voice that made her want to retch.

"Oh, thank _God_ it stopped talking." Hermione groaned in relief.

"I think I prefer Grandpa's method; I mean, if you're going to wake someone, _that's_ how you do it, not by _sugaring_ them to death." Tatsumi said.

"You know you're going to have to pay for that thing." Hermione reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah." Tatsumi waved at her.

Once they had dressed, they walked downstairs for breakfast. Tom, the owner of the Cauldron, was working behind the bar and there were only a few other costumers up this early in the morning.

"Good morning." Tom smiled. "How was your wake-up call?"

Tatsumi twitched. "You _arranged_ that?!" She said dangerously; she was not amused at all.

Tom looked bit confused. "Not happy?" He asked.

"Let's just say you're going to have to replace the mirror." Tatsumi said.

"Huh?"

"I smashed it." Tatsumi told him.

"Wha'?" Tom asked confused

"Threw a shoe at it."

"Oh." Tom was definitely put out by that.

When the others learned what had happened, Ichigo wasn't even mad; turns out he too had broken a mirror that morning.

 **o000o**

"I don't remember this place being this popular." Tatsumi said starring dumbfounded at the enormous crowd of people gathered both outside and inside the book-store. Most were star-eyed women.

"No, something's definitely up." Draco replied looking at the enormous crowd

"Gilderoy Lockhart is inside doing a book-signing." Juvia said running back to her friends after having asked someone what was going on.

"Lockhart? Isn't that the author of our DADA books?" Tatsumi asked.

"Yes, but it's odd that we're required to buy all of his books." Draco said. "They're not exactly useful in a class-room."

"He certainly has a lot of fans." Hermione said in awe. "I've never read any of his books, are they any good?"

"If you like a vain, narcissistic fake, sure." Juvia said. She had actually read his books. "Father has given Juvia the entire collection. You can clearly tell that there's a difference between when he's re-telling a story, and when he's inserting something that wasn't originally part of said story."

"Are you sure?" Tatsumi asked.

"Juvia will give an example." Juvia said. "In 'Wandering with Werewolves', the lead character speaks with a highly educated vocabulary, yet the actual text is written very simplistic. Also, the character sometimes speaks words that Juvia has looked up and found to be Armenian swear-words; Lockhart does not speak Armenian, and strongly proclaims that he _never_ swears."

Hermione blinked. "That's highly inconsistent." She said.

Juvia nodded. "The lead character in his books are supposed to be himself." She said. "Yet, in the books, his lead characters have different way of speaking, different vocabularies, and different personalities. When compared; they're completely different people. Yet Lockhart claims it's all him; so either he has a multiple personality disorder, or…"

"He's a thief." Hermione concluded.

"Do we really have to go in there?" Tatsumi asked hopefully. "Can't we get our books tomorrow?"

"They say he's going to be here every day this week." Juvia said.

"Terrific." Draco muttered.

Ichigo sighed. "Let's just get this over with." He said and the group started fighting their way through the crowd.

Once on the other side, Tatsumi looked traumatized. "I know the wizard-world is fucking weird, but _please_ tell me that's not natural." She begged.

"What's not natural?" Hermione asked curiously.

"His _teeth_ just sparkled!" Tatsumi exclaimed.

"They did?" Hermione asked looking back at the overly dressed-up man signing autographs. The man smiled; his teeth sparkled.

"It's worse than Dumbledore's stupid twinkle!" Tatsumi yelled.

Ten minutes later, they had found all their books, except for their DADA-books.

"Do you _really_ need these books?" Ichigo asked. "They sound like they belong in the fiction-section!"

"Juvia can bring hers." Juvia offered. "Juvia had read them, they're not useful."

Deciding to borrow Juvia's copies, the group was eager to get out of the store, so they paid for their books, and started fighting their way through the crowd again. But, before they could get out, a man rudely pushed Juvia so hard that she would've hit the floor if Draco hadn't caught her.

"Out of the way, this is for the Daily Prophet!" The man said roughly using his elbows to move those he thought were in the way of his shot.

Tatsumi punched the man and he hit the floor. "I wouldn't care if you were the freaking Minister!" She snapped at him "Show some respect, you jerk, you could hurt someone!"

Unfortunately, Tatsumi's yelling was heard by Lockhart and the man's eyes twinkled when he spotted her. "Could it be; Euphemia Potter!"

Before Tatsumi could blink, she suddenly found herself in Lockhart's death-grip and was pulled in front of flashing cameras. "Smile Euphemia, together you and I are worth the front pa-OWWW!" He screamed in pain as Tatsumi stomped on his foot and threw him over her shoulders, sending him flying into a book-shelf which collapsed in a cloud of dust.

"TOUCH ME AGAIN, YOU DIRTY PERVERT, I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!" She yelled and ran to take refuge behind her furious father.

Ichigo's aura was mesmerizing to the onlookers as the pressure intensified. "You'll lose more than your head if you go near my daughter again." He said calmly, but dangerously. He then turned to the kids. "We're finished here, let go before I do something I'll regret."

They had just stepped outside when Lockhart found his way back to the table and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make." He said loud and clear, and pretending as if nothing had happened. "Starting September 1st, I will be filling the post of 'Defense of Dark Arts'-professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He expected an applause, but after what had just happened, people weren't sure how to react. Lockhart wasn't fazed though. "Don't worry; your children will be perfectly safe with me on board."

Unfortunately, Tatsumi had heard his announcement as well. "THAT EVIL TEETH-SPARKLING MONSTER IS GOING TO BE OUR _TEACHER_?!"

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**


	14. Chapter 12 - Hidden Monster

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Twelve – The Hidden Monster_**

The end of summer-vacation had ended with a family feast and fireworks at the Kurosaki Family Clinic. Truth be told, Tatsumi had caused a bit of fireworks in wizarding media as well. Rita Skeeter was calling Lockhart a child-molester, and was calling in question the safety of the students with that man teaching at Hogwarts. Headmaster Dumbledore and Lockhart's die-hard fans were calling Skeeter an overreacting liar, of course, so people didn't really know what to think. Ichigo had even outright given his daughter permission to skip the man's class, and to make sure she was never alone with him, as their attempt to get a restraining-order was denied by the British Ministry. Skeeter's articles had covered that as well, and Lucius Malfoy, as a member of the Board of Governors, had demanded the man either be fired or monitored, never to be alone with the students.

In the end, Dumbledore agreed to provide a teaching-assistant to 'keep an eye' on Lockhart, and the news seemed to reassure the public. So, even though some had threatened to withdraw their children, no student seemed to be missing as the Hogwarts Express started its journey towards Hogwarts. The members of the study-group had greeted each other eagerly, and groups of friends scattered along the train to catch up after the summer. The Allstars and the twins were mostly left alone, after everyone had come by to say hello, and, though they weren't talking much, it was a comfortable atmosphere. Or it _was_ until Tatsumi noticed her Horcrux-necklace was reacting very slightly. She didn't have time to tell the others, however, as the twins' younger sister showed up, along with a small blond-haired girl that seemed to have the same air about her as Mavis Vermillion; hell, the girl even looked like Mavis.

"Hey, mind if we sit with you?" Ginevra, nicknamed Ginny, asked. "Everywhere else is full."

The blond blinked at her words, however. "Doesn't the train magically provide more comp-?" She started asking, but was quickly shushed by Ginny, then turned back to the group hoping they hadn't heard anything.

"Erh, sure…" Hermione said. They already knew to be wary of Ginny, but they were curious about the blond.

"Thanks!" Ginny said smiling brightly. She moved to sit close to Tatsumi, but the twins, who had been sitting on the floor, both got up and took the remaining seats on that side.

Ginny tried to hide it, but she was furious. The blond had already claimed the seat directly in front of Tatsumi and had pulled out a copy of a magazine called 'the Quibbler' to read, and Ginny found herself forced to sit on the seat closest to the door.

"So, who's your friend." Tatsumi asked Ginny.

"Oh, that just Loony." Ginny said as if she was talking about a speck of dust.

Tatsumi turned to the blond. "Your parents named you 'Loony'?" She asked sounding excited.

"Erh, no." Ginny answered for the blond, though she appeared confused. "Her name is Luna, Luna Lovegood, we just call her 'Loony' because she's _weird_."

"You mean _you_ call her 'Loony' because you think she's weird." Fred accused.

"You and Ron." George added.

" _We_ call her 'Loony'-" Fred began their twin-speak.

"-because _everything_ is more _fun_ -" George continued.

"-when it's 'loony'!" They finished together, grinning like idiots, much to the blonde's shock.

"Amen, to that." Tatsumi laughed, grinning just as widely as the twins. "By the way is that the Quibbler?"

Seeing a chance to deter the group from the blond with the least-liked Magazine in the country, Ginny was the one who answered. "Of course it is." She said sighing, and sounding as if she had been trying to ween the blond out of a disgusting habit to no avail. "Her family owns the thing."

Her tactics didn't work. "That's cool!" Tatsumi said still smiling.

The blond smiled shyly and held the magazine out to her. "Would you like a copy?" She asked.

"No thanks." Tatsumi said, and Ginny smirked thinking she was just trying to be polite to the 'weird girl', who shrank back in disappointment.

Until Tatsumi pulled out her own copy. "I've been subscribed for a year already." She explained, making the blond smile, and Ginny to frown in anger.

That didn't go unnoticed.

 **o000o**

During the Welcoming-feast, the students noticed it was taking much longer than usual for the first-years to be led into the hall; turns out Lockhart wanted to be the escort, and had spent more time bragging and signing autographs than necessary. He was also seemingly alone with the first-years, which went completely against the Headmaster's promise. Tatsumi figured the Board of Governors would be hearing about this tonight, if Draco had any say about it. Finally, Lockhart led the first-years into the hall, walking in front of them and dressed in a ridiculously long robe.

"What's the chance he'll trip in that thing?" Tatsumi asked absentmindedly, just in time for Lockhart to step on his robe and land on his face with a girlish yelp.

Tatsumi burst out laughing, followed by her housemates and the rest of the students; hell even Severus smirked. Lockhart, on the other hand, quickly got to his feet with an excuse of having just gotten rid of some of the awkwardness of having a celebrity as a professor. Luckily, the actual sorting was done by Professor McGonagall, and therefore went smoothly. Luna ended up in Ravenclaw, and had been grateful for Hermione, who had waved her over to sit next to her. Ginny had joined Gryffindor, like all her brothers before her, but had seemed to argue with the Sorting Hat for several minutes. She also hadn't been very happy about not being able to sit next to Tatsumi, who was surrounded by the Quidditch-team, and no one seemed to be willing to sit next to her. In fact, that she had no one to sit with was probably the only reason why she noticed a certain redhead was missing.

"Guys have you seen Ron?" She asked the twins.

The twins shook their head and shrugged; they hadn't seen him, nor did they know where he was, and, to be honest, they didn't really care.

 **o000o**

Later that night, the Allstars all met with each and every member of the study-group. As it was a Saturday, they would have the entire day tomorrow to sort things out. The point was to establish a ranking-system within the Houses, and establishing who was truly willing to fight by their side, and who just wanted help with their school-work. Each of the Allstars had a modified Kikanshinki (Memory-substitution device), and would hand out amulets that would shield the wearers minds against Dumbledore. Those not willing to listen to their case, or were insecure and/or unwilling to go in it for the long-run, had their memories altered to believe it had simply been a conversation about the study-groups' schedule, and if they would consider being 'teachers'.

Tatsumi also found out what had happened to Ron, who had apparently stolen his father's flying car, and driven it to the school because the barrier at King's Cross had closed in his face. The prat was even bragging about this feat, and how he had 'skillfully' avoided being expelled. The car itself had apparently become sentient and driven off into the Forbidden Forest, but no one really believed him.

Not until the Howler came the next morning.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Tatsumi's ears were ringing, leaving her temporary deaf. She saw Ginny trying to say something to her, but was left looking at the girl with utter confusion as she couldn't hear a word. George noticed this and decided a visit to the Hospital Wing was in order. She remained there for over an hour as her hearing recovered.

"Out of curiosity" She started as she caught up with her friends. "What was Ginger trying to tell me this morning?"

"She was trying to pass ickle Ronnikins antics off as 'charming in a strange way'." Fred said.

"What part of stealing from your parents, and confusing the fuck out of Mundanes, is charming?" Tatsumi asked. "I mean, your mother doesn't work, she was right there and could've easily helped him out; he didn't have to steal a fucking car."

The twin shrugged.

"Ickle Ronnikins isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, is he Gred?" George said

"Most certainly not, dear brother of mine." Fred said.

The group soon met up with the study-group in the library to sort out their schedules, and which rooms were available to them. The school had a bunch of unused classrooms, but they all had to be properly cleaned before they could be used. So they had a lot of work ahead before they could start up properly. No one seemed to mind though, and were eager to get started.

 **o000o**

Later that evening, those selected for the Courts met the Allstars in private; in 'the room that comes and goes'. There were 28 people all together that discreetly made their way to the seventh-floor, following the strange directions they had been given. The Allstars had arrived first, to set up the room for what could be a long meeting. Fred and George had long since been established as 'Lieutenants', a rank above the Courts, and were the last to arrive after making sure everyone had made there safely.

In the 'Dragon's Court', Sixth-years Oliver Wood and Percy Weasley were appointed as 'Ranking Officers', and the other members consisted of Fourth-years Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnet, Third-year Katie Bell, and Second-years Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil, and Fay Dunbar.

In the Royal Court, Fourth-year Adrian Pucey was Ranking Officer, with the other members being Second-years Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis, and Millicent Bulstrode.

In the Raven's Court, Sixth-year Penelope Clearwater was Rankling Officer, and the other members consisted of Second-years Terry Boot, Lisa Turpin, and Padma Patil.

Lastly, in the Shadow's Court, Fourth-year Cedric Diggory was Ranking Officer, followed by Second-years Susan Bones, Ernest Macmillian, and Hannah Abbott.

"So you're really convinced Dumbledore wants to kill you?" Susan asked incredulously.

"Not by his own hand, but he definitely wants me dead." Tatsumi said.

"We have three different sources that confirms this." Draco added. "And no; none of them is my father."

"Anything that will hold up in court?" Ernest asked curiously.

"It's Dumbledore." Hannah said punching his arm. "What do you think? Dumbledore could literally kill a man in broad daylight and people _still_ wouldn't convict him."

"I'd still like to see what proof we do have." Cedric said. "If we're going to fight one of the most powerful men in present time, we all need to be on the same page."

To everyone's surprise, it was Percy who started. "I have documents from both a British and a Japanese Mind-healer." He said pulling out a folder. "The Japanese Healer examined the twins while they were working in Tatsu's Godfather's shop."

"We noticed something was wrong when we returned to Hogwarts after Christmas." Fred explained. "Certain things that didn't make sense, things we were _just_ noticing as we spoke about it."

"We knew we had been subject to memory-spells." George said. "So we got tested where it wouldn't be discovered. When the results came in, we contacted Percy, who's always been skeptical of Dumbledore, so we thought that maybe he was remembering things, like we did."

"I then went to Penelope's mother, who is a Mind-healer, and was tested by her." Percy said. "It turns out I have a mild ability to resist mind-spells, and that my subconscious memory was remembering things that made me distrust not only Dumbledore, but my mother also."

"Your mother?" Lisa asked. "But why?"

"Because she's working with Dumbledore." Percy said. "Healer Clearwater was able to bring back the memories that had been altered; in fact, _my mother_ was behind _most_ of the memory-spells."

"Mom is also using potions on dad." Fred said. "She thought she was going to marry rich, but grandpa Septimus outconned her. She _hates_ being poor, and Dumbledore has been paying her behind our family's back."

"She's also been training Ron and Ginny." George said. "They want Tatsu's fortune as a reward; they know Dumbledore is planning her death."

"But why?" Katie asked. " _Why_ does he want you dead?"

Tatsumi closed her eyes and stretched out her arm. Fawkes flamed in and landed on her arm.

"How?... How did you call Dumbledore's familiar to you?" Daphne asked shocked.

"Fawkes is one of _my_ familiars." Tatsumi said. "Dumbledore bound him to him as a slave!"

 ** _*A collective gasp!*_**

"I spent most of last year breaking the slave-bond, but Fawkes himself severed it at the end of the year." Tatsumi continued.

"Fawkes knows just about everything about Dumbledore." Hermione said stepping forward with small a box in her hands. Moments later, the room had provided them with a Pensive, and Hermione opened the box to reveal bottled memories. "These are all Fawkes' memories."

The group spent the next few hours watching memories; learning about the prophecy, about Grindewald, the Hallows, and the Horcruxes. Many needed calming draughts when they emerged from the Pensive, though some were more horrified than others, for the simple reason that they had understood more of what was going on.

"He's alive." Adrian whispered. "He's actually alive. I mean; I've heard rumors but…"

"He split his soul." Daphne said. "That's how he survived."

"He's immortal." Tracy said.

"Not immortal." Draco said. "Just hard to kill."

"Dumbledore thought he'd make seven." Susan said. "Did he actually manage to make that many?"

"No, he didn't." Tatsumi said and showed them her Horcrux-necklace. "This is the sixth. It used to be inside my scar, but was removed when I was little. We've since discovered it can detect others of its kind."

" _That's_ why he wants you dead!" Penelope concluded. "He still thinks the Horcrux is inside your scar, which would mean that you'd have to die before You-Know-Who can be killed!"

Tatsumi nodded. "Old Moldy doesn't know he made me a Horcrux though." She said. "We believe he made the preparations to make one using my death, so when his body was destroyed, a portion broke off without his knowledge."

"You said it can detect other Horcruxes." Padma said. "You mean you've tested it? How?"

"This room was discovered because my necklace found a Horcrux here." Tatsumi said. "I sent it to my Godfather for extraction."

"Extraction?" Daphne asked. "You can actually extract the soul without harming the container?" Then facepalmed as she realized the answer was obvious. "Nevermind."

"I'm almost afraid to ask." Parvati said still shaking. "But what was the third source you talked about?"

Tatsumi grinned. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to our all-seeing eyes." She motioned to the back of the room, where the group was shocked to see a young girl materializing in front of them.

"Members of the Courts." The girl greeted. "I, am Hogwarts."

As Hogwarts curtseyed, only one thought went through the Courts' heads. _"You've got to be kidding."_

"But isn't she bound to the Headmaster?" Fay asked. "Or, wait, it's the other way around isn't it?"

"I do share a bond with the Headmaster, however, I am also bound to the blood of my founders." Hogwarts said. "As a descendant of Godric Gryffindor, Tatsumi-sama takes precedence over the Headmaster."

"Good to know." Alicia said still recovering from her shock.

"There's one more thing." Tatsumi added holding up her necklace again.

They hadn't noticed it before, but now that they were focused on it, they noticed the faint pulsating glow.

"Oh, don't tell me." Penelope whined.

"But the necklace stopped reacting after the diadem was removed from the castle!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why is it reacting _now_?"

"It started on the train." Tatsumi said. "The reaction is strong in Gryffindor-tower, especially in the girls-dorm, but the reaction is so strong that I can't properly locate it."

"Someone brought another one into the castle, but you can't figure out who?" Draco asked.

Tatsumi nodded. "If it's something that can be worn, like the diadem, it could be anything." She said.

"Diadem?" Daphne asked. "Why would the Dark Lord use a diadem for one of his Horcruxes?"

"It wasn't just any diadem, Daph." Juvia said. "It was Ravenclaw's missing diadem. We figure he must have hidden it here, since not even Dumbledore knows about the room, albeit he does suspect."

"R-Ravenc-claw's…" Daphne stuttered what they were all thinking. "Do you still have it?"

Tatsumi nodded. "I did pay a visit to Gringotts to return it to Ravenclaw's vaults." She explained. "But apparently the bloodline went extinct a long time ago, so the vaults have been closed and emptied."

"What happened to the content?" Millicent asked.

"Apparently Ravenclaw's descendants sold most of their estates and belongings over times of hardship." Tatsumi recounted what she had been told by the goblins. "So there wasn't much left by the time the bloodline died out."

"How sad." Katie said.

"If the Dark Lord used Ravenclaw's diadem as a Horcrux, maybe he tracked down artifacts from the other founders as well." Adrian speculated.

"It's possible. "Tatsumi said. "I know for a fact that Godric's sword was hidden somewhere in the castle, but the texts I have doesn't reveal where. If Old Moldy found the diadem, he might have found the sword as well."

"Then let's start looking." Oliver said. "If we can find the other artifacts, there's a god chance we'll find the other Horcruxes as well."

"My father has connections to several auction-houses." Ernie said. "I can find out if anything passed through them that might belong to the founders."

"I'll go through my father's connections to the Black Market as well." Draco said.

"Juvia might be able to ask Father." Juvia said. "He has connections to many collectors and Curse Breakers that might have come across something."

With a plan in mind, the Courts knew they had a long year of research ahead of them, and they were eager to get started. With the Dark Lord still out there somewhere, they knew they had to make the best of the time they had, and be ready for the war that seemed inevitable.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

On the first day of classes, Tatsumi and Juvia met up with their classmates for Herbology, but as they waited outside the Greenhouses, they saw Professor Sprout heading towards them with both arms in bandages, and with Lockhart following right behind. They were a sight to behold; Sprout was covered in dirt, as usual, but Lockhart was spotless and sparkly.

"Hello, there!" Lockhart exclaimed eagerly as he spotted the students. "I've just shown Professor Sprout how to heal a Whompin Willow. Now, I'm not claiming to be superior in Herbology, but I've coincidentally encountered many exotic plants during my travels-"

"Greenhouse 3 today, students!" Professor Sprout interrupted. She was clearly not her usual happy self.

The students were excited, as they'd only been in Greenhouse 1 previously, and they knew the exciting and dangerous plants were in Greenhouse 3, where they were going now. Tatsumi, however, was more focused on the Whomping Willow some distance away. Several of its branches were splinted, and she could just tell that the willow was miserable. That tree was her favorite meditation-spot, and good for naps too, so she was not happy to see that it had been damaged. She had though Ron made up the part about crashing into the willow, now she wanted to get even on the willow's behalf.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley, just the person I was looking for." Lockhart said grabbing the redhead. "You don't mind do you, Professor Sprout? A few minutes won't hurt."

Sprout gave him a look that clearly said otherwise, but Lockhart proceeded to close the door in her face. Tatsumi wondered for a second if being alone with Lockhart would be punishment enough, but settled for reminding Sprout of the fact that Lockhart wasn't allowed to be alone with any students. Sprout tore open the door and grabbed Ron by the robe, pulling him inside and slamming the door on Lockhart's delicate nose.

Meanwhile, Tatsumi had taken a seat next to Juvia, but paled at the sight of the earmuffs; they wouldn't help her much, not with her enhanced hearing.

"Juvia has put silencing spells on these." Juvia said handing her a pair.

"Thanks." Tatsumi said gratefully, and relaxed a bit.

"We are replanting Mandrakes today." Professor Sprout said. "What can you tell me about Mandrakes?"

Juvia was one of several who raised their hands. Tatsumi usually didn't bother answering questions unless asked directly.

"Mr. Longbottom?"

"Mandrake, also known as Mandragora, is a powerful restorative agent that can be used on people who have been transfigured or cursed, to restore them to their original state." Neville said.

Neville had started out as a shy, slightly clumsy, and forgetful boy with no self-esteem, but was slowly and steadily growing more confident. Now they just had to convince Neville to stand up against his grandmother, and finally get himself a wand that matches him. The fact that he was doing as well as he did, with his father's wand, was quite astonishing.

"Excellent! Ten point to Gryffindor." Professor Sprout praised. "The Mandrake is an important ingredient in most antidotes, but it is also dangerous. Who here can tell me why?... Miss Moon?"

"The Mandrake's scream is deadly to whomever hears it." Juvia said.

"Exactly! Ten point to Hufflepuff." Professor Sprout said. "Although the Mandrakes we have here are still quite young."

She pointed to a row of deep trays with roughly 100 small, purple and green sprouts that were growing in line.

"Everyone grab a pair of earmuffs." Professor Sprout ordered, and there was a rush to avoid getting a pair of earmuffs that weren't pink and fluffy.

Juvia had already snagged two pairs, so she and Tatsumi were sitting pretty as the other students fought over the remaining earmuffs. Juvia had, of course, taken one of the pink ones for herself.

"When I say so, put on your earmuffs and make sure they cover your ears _completely._ " Professor Sprout said. "I'll signal you when it's safe to remove them, with a thumbs up. Now, earmuffs on, everyone."

Professor Sprout put on one of the pink earmuffs, and rolled up her sleeves before looking around to make sure everyone had their earmuffs on. She then took a strong grip on one of the sprouts and yanked. What she pulled out of the dirt was possibly the ugliest baby anyone would see in their lives. Its skin was green, and the sprout that the professor was holding onto was growing right out of its head. The mandrake was screaming at the top of its lungs, and Professor Sprout found a large flower-pot which she put the Mandrake into. She then buried the mandrake in dark, moist fertilizer until only the leafs were sticking out. Finally, she brushed off her hands and gave the thumbs up before removing her earmuffs.

"As our Mandrakes are only cuttings, their scream cannot kill you just yet." She said as calmly as if she'd just been watering flowers. "But they can knock you out for hours, and since I'm sure none of you wants to miss out on their first day, make sure that your earmuffs are firmly in place as you work. I will give you the sign when it's time to stop. Now, groups of four for one tray, flower-pots are down there, and you'll find the fertilizer in the sacks over there… Oh, and watch out for the Venomous Tentacula; it's currently teething." She added as she smacked a spiky, dark-red plant was reaching its vines slowly over her shoulders.

Tatsumi and Juvia were joined by Neville and Hannah; the two were getting quite close. At the end of the class, their group was the only ones who had managed to replant their entire tray of mandrakes. Neville's green thumb, combined with Juvia's delicate touch, and Tatsumi's ability to calm the plants with her reiatsu, meant their mandrakes were much more cooperative than the others.

 **o000o**

In transfiguration, a Gryffindor/Ravenclaw class, the students were asked to turn beetles into buttons, with a large variety of results. Hermione was long since finished, and was working on her homework while a handful of perfect coat-buttons was lying on her desk. Tatsumi was bored, and kept waving her wand left and right over her beetle, turning it into a button, then back to a beetle repeatedly, just to see how many different types of buttons she could make until McGonagall noticed what she was doing.

Ron, whose wand was broken and held together with spello-tape after his encounter with the Whomping Willow, was sitting alone because every time he tried to cast a spell, his wand sparked and enveloped him in a thick, grey smoke-cloud that smelled like rotten eggs. He also ended up squashing his beetle with his elbow as he couldn't see through the smoke. McGonagall was not happy when he asked for a new one, and Ron became so frustrated with his wand that, when the lunch-bell rang, he started hitting his wand on his desk, which obviously didn't help at all.

 **o000o**

"DADA is next for me." Tatsumi said.

It was recess after lunch and the Allstars were standing outside by the Whomping Willow, which was currently under the orange dome of Tatsumi's Shun Shun Rikka, which in turn as hidden by glamour-spells.

"We'll be the first of our group to have Lockhart." Juvia said as it was Gryffindor/Hufflepuff class. "Juvia wonders what will happen."

"You know, if he'd just stuck to retelling these stories, instead of inserting himself into them, he'd be a great author." Hermione said. She was reading Juvia's copy of 'Voyages with Vampires'.

Tatsumi turned to her and was about to say something, instead she spotted something by the castle entrance. "Shit!" She swore and dived behind Draco for a second. She reemerged with long, blond hair to her lower back and ruby-red eyes.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked surprised. "It's just a first-year."

"He's a hyperactive fanboy!" Tatsumi said through gritted teeth. "He visited me in the Hospital Wing on Sunday and asked if he could take a photograph of me. He even suggested Madam Pomfrey could take the picture, so he could stand next to me, and that I could sign it afterwards. He kept telling me how he knew _everything_ about me, and that he had no idea he was a wizard until he got his letter, and that his father was a milkman."

"I take it Madam Pomfrey chased him out?" Draco asked.

"He was talking a mile a minute!" Tatsumi said keeping an eye on the camera-holding Gryffindor. "He was making my head spin."

"You can't avoid him forever." Hermione said.

"No, but I can avoid him long enough to make a plan on how to handle him." Tatsumi said.

 **o000o**

Tatsumi had not been looking forward to her first DADA class this year. She had already heard from other students that Lockhart was useless. Also, the so-called teaching-assistant that was supposed to keep an eye on the man, was a heart-eyed, seventh-year girl who was completely hypnotized by his charms; and Lockhart was milking her for every drop of admiration she had for him.

"Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. Me. Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's 'Most Charming-Smile Award'." Lockhart said.

The man's teeth sparkled, making Tatsumi twitch, and his way-too-strong cologne was making her want to puke.

"But I don't talk about that." Lockhart claimed, trying to sound humble. "I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" He awaited laughter, but only got a few awkward smiles.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books." Lockhart said looking at the mountain of books on most of the desks in front of him. "Well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about. Just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in…" Lockhart then happily started handing out the papers by hand, although he could easily have used magic, or asked his 'assistant'.

 _"So far he was acting like a teacher should."_ Juvia though, then she read the first question and her brain just shut down. Lockhart's favorite color had absolutely nothing to do with DADA.

"You have thirty minutes. Start…now!" Lockhart cheered happily and the majority of the students looked at each other with almost pleading looks.

Tatsumi was torn between burning her test, and sending it to the Board of Governors. Either way she wasn't even going to try to answer the ridicules questions. She turned to Juvia, who was glaring at the inkwell on Lockhart's desk **(AN 1)**. The inkwell shook, catching Lockhart's attention. It shook again, and Lockhart bent down curiously. It didn't move so he started to straighten back up, but then it shook again and he leaned in closer. Juvia smirked and suddenly the inkwell's cap burst off as the ink splattered Lockhart, who shrieked like a girl, and tripped on his ridiculously long robe, falling head over heels onto his back. He lay there dazed for a moment, then pulled out a hand-held mirror and looked at himself. He shrieked and abruptly fled the classroom screaming about his beautiful face.

"Way to go, Via." Tatsumi said in awe at the man's reaction.

"Did that sound really just come out of a _man_?" Susan asked dumbfounded.

"Where the hell does Dumbledore get his teachers, Stupid-ville?" Gryffindor Dean Thomas muttered.

Tatsumi held up her test-sheet so everyone could see it, and burned it letting the ashes fall to the floor. "First Quirrell and now this. If this continues we wouldn't have learned a god-damned thing when we graduate." She said loud and clear.

"If we can get Lockhart to quit, the course would either become a self-study, or we'll get another professor; either way is far better than dealing with _that_ idiot." Susan said.

"But how do we get him to quit?" Ernest asked.

Tatsumi grinned like Cheshire cat. "Did you really have to ask?" She laughed.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Unfortunately, Tatsumi didn't have much time to plan Lockhart's demise, she was too busy avoiding the man – as he seemed determined to be her 'mentor' on how to handle her fame – and hiding from her new stalker, Colin Creevey, who seemed to have learned her schedule by heart and insisted on saying 'Hi' to her six-seven times a day. It got so bad that she was constantly changing her appearance just to get some peace.

"Tatsu-chan? I've been meaning to ask." Hermione said one day as the Allstars were hiding in the Room of Requirement, or RoR for short. "Were you born with pink hair, or did it change when your memories came back?"

Tatsumi blinked. "I changed it myself." She said. "I had James' hair-color and Lily's eyes at first, but I was changing between several colors before I settled on this." She said pointing to her eyes and hair. "Why?"

"Just wondering." Hermione said. "I know Draco and Juvia were born as they are, but until my third birthday, I had brown hair. Then it slowly changed color as my memories came back."

"I get my hair-color from my paternal grandmother." Draco explained.

"Father had Juvia tested at St. Mungos." Juvia said. "Juvia has 1/20 mermaid-blood."

"So one of your 5xGreat grandparents was a mermaid with blue hair?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." Juvia said. "Juvia looks just like her."

"Nice." Tatsumi said, then looked at her watch. "I better go; Oli wants me up at dawn tomorrow."

Quidditch-practice was another reason she didn't have much time to plan. As the new Seeker of the Quidditch-team, she didn't mind the practices at dawn, but Oliver seemed to become another person when he went into Captain-mode, as she called it, and it left her wanting to smack his head repeatedly with her broom. In fact, the only reason she didn't, was because her Nimbus 2001 had been a birthday-present from Draco, and she didn't want to risk damaging it.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

At dawn the next morning, Tatsumi walked down the stairs dressed in her Quidditch-gear and was on her way to practice. Unfortunately, a certain hyperactive first-year had heard Oliver waking up his teammates, and had shot down the stairs to meet her.

"Can I get a picture of you in your Quidditch-gear?" He asked excitedly. "I've never seen a Quidditch-match before. Can I watch you practice? Is Quidditch awesome?"

"Practice isn't nearly as fun to watch as a match, Colin." Tatsumi said trying not to get mad as she walked.

"You turned down the opportunity to become the youngest Seeker in a century, is that right?" Colin asked. "You must be really good. I've never flown before. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is it the best broom there is?"

The questions just kept coming.

"Colin!" Tatsumi snapped finally. "Look, I am _this_ close to losing my temper with you, and when I lose my temper with people they very quickly get on my bad side, is that what you want?"

"No." Colin said meekly.

Tatsumi sighed heavily. "Look, you're enthusiastic, and that's fine, but your tunnel-vision is on me, and that's not ok." She said. "You need to redirect all that energy of yours into something more productive than stalking me."

"But what could be more important than _you_?" Colin asked confused.

Tatsumi held back a groan. "Colin, you really think a 15-month old _baby_ defeated the most feared man in the wizard-world to date?" She asked gently. "Think about it. Isn't it more likely that Lily Potter, the brightest witch of her generation, did something to protect me? I know the wizard-world is dumb as a brick, but you're Mundaneborn, you should be smarter than that."

"Well." Colin said hesitantly. "When you say it like that…"

"Lily Potter was a Mundaneborn, just like you, Colin." Tatsumi told him. "Yet the wizard-world seems to have forgotten she even _existed_. People would rather say a half-blood baby defeated the Dark Lord, than admit that he was defeated by a Mundaneborn. That's one of the many things that's wrong with this world."

"Why are you saying 'Mundaneborn'?" Colin asked confused. "I thought the tem was 'Muggleborn'?"

"I grew up in Japan, Colin." Tatsumi explained. "We refer to non-magical things as 'Mundane' there."

"Oh." Colin said.

"Look, Colin, I'm going to be late for practice." Tatsumi said. "Why don't you meet me outside the Great Hall on Friday? We're holding a meeting for the study-group, maybe we can find a project for you to work on."

Colin didn't look so sure. "Ginny said the group was mean to her." He said. "She said the Slytherins were-"

"Just stop right there, Colin." Tatsumi said angrily. "The study-group has rules, one of which is to respect your fellow members regardless of their house. Ginny's attitude towards the members of the other houses _sucked_ , especially when it came to the Slytherins, and she was outright bullying some of the members! If you don't follow the rules, you don't belong in the group; simple as that!"

She didn't wait for a reply and stalked off.

 **o000o**

After practice ended, Tatsumi and the twins met up with Draco and Adrian as they walked to the Great Hall for breakfast. The Slytherins had also had practice, but in another part of the grounds. They had been discussing the upcoming Quidditch-season when Tatsumi stopped, and motioned for the others to be quiet as she heard an argument up ahead. It was Juvia and Hermione against Ron and Ginny.

"Oh, please." Ginny said. "Why would Tatsu want to spent time with a blue-haired Puff who can't even talk right, when she has us _normal_ housemates?!"

Tatsumi snarled loudly, scaring the redheads. Ginny opened her mouth, looking as if she was about to say something that most likely would've made Tatsumi even more mad, but Tatsumi walked right passed her and hugged Juvia. The Ginger-bitch had struck a nerve; Juvia was self-conscious of her habit of referring to herself in third person. She never had to worry about her language when she was with friends, but that also meant that it hurt more when she encountered people who clearly couldn't keep their mouths shut.

The glare Tatsumi gave the redheads sent Ron covering in a corner, while his sister stood her ground, albeit with shaking legs. "I don't recall giving you permission to call me by my first name, little along my nickname." Tatsumi growled. "Then, you go and not only insult two of my _best_ friends, but was outright mocking one of them for something they have no control over!"

Ginny took a step back, and was met with Draco's wand. "You and your brother have been nothing but trouble since we met." He said angrily. "And you have the audacity to wonder why Tatsu's avoiding you?"

"Stay away from my sister, Malfoy!" Ron snapped seemingly regaining his courage.

"Make me!" Draco sneered.

"That's it!" Ron yelled pulling out his broken wand. "Eat slugs!"

Two things happened at once; first, Hermione and the twins both reacted, Hermione with a Knockback-hex, and the twins with boil-hexes. Second, Ron's broken wand backfired. The result was that Ron became covered in large, purple boils and started vomiting slugs, causing Ginny to scream.

"Quiet!"

The group turned to see Professor Snape.

"Professor, Malfoy cursed my brother!" Ginny immediately accused, and turned to the others as if she expected her fellow Gryffindors to back her up.

"Draco did nothing of the sort!" Juvia yelled.

"Juvia's right." George said. "Fred and I cursed Ron, though the slugs are his own fault."

"Ron tried to curse Draco with a broken wand." Hermione explained. "Needless to say it backfired."

"I see." Snape said. "Now, unfortunately for you Miss Weasley, I witnessed the whole incident."

Ginny gulped.

"I'm deducting you five point for starting an altercation, and another five for lying to a Professor." Snape said. "You will also be serving detention with Professor Lockhart this evening after dinner."

"You can't do that!" Ron yelled, then vomited another slug.

"I can, and I have, Mr. Weasley." Snape said. "In fact, I'm deducting ten points from you as well, for attacking a fellow student. You will also be serving detention this evening, with Filch."

Snape then turned to the others. "As for the rest of you." He said. "Mr. Malfoy will be deducted five points for pointing his wand at another student, however Miss Granger will be awarded five point for defending a fellow student."

"What about the twins?!" Ginny insisted. "They hexed Ron!"

"Be that as it may, Miss Weasley." Snape said. "They did so in defense of another student, which would've awarded them the same amount of points as they would've otherwise been deducted. Now, I suggest you get some breakfast; classes will begin soon, and you don't want to be late."

Entering the Great Hall, the Allstars and their lieutenants made a point in sitting together at the Hufflepuff table. By lunch, all four Courts had heard of the incident, and, by extension, so had the study-group. Ginny had been trying to join the study-group for a while, but had been put on 'trial'. Her behavior towards the members of the other houses had left much to be desired, however, and this was the last straw. The fact that the study-group contained nearly 80% of the entire Gryffindor House, also meant that Ginny's hopes of popularity was pretty much dashed. The group had actually become so large that they couldn't all be in the same room anymore, and had to create different schedules by year. Naturally, only the Courts knew about the 'Room of Requirement', and the other secret rooms.

 **o000o**

"Does Peeves destroy the Hospital Storage often?" Tatsumi asked.

She and Draco were aiding Snape, who had been asked to restock the Hospital Wing's medicinal storage. Peeves, the Castle's eternal thorn in the hide, had been wreaking havoc again.

"About once or twice a year." Snape answered as he was powdering portions of a bicorn horn.

Tatsumi 'hm'ed'. "I might have to talk to him." She said. She was peeling, cutting, and otherwise preparing a variety of roots.

"You sure he'll listen to you?" Draco asked. He was using a stop-watch while stirring a potion that had to be stirred continually for ten full minutes.

"If he wants to stay; yes, he will." Tatsumi said. "If not, I can force him to leave. Why do you think the ghost were avoiding me all of first year?"

"They're not avoiding you now?" Draco asked curiously.

Tatsumi shook her head. "I talked to Nick, the Gryffindor Ghost, last year, and he talked to the others." She explained. "They warmed up as soon as they realized I'm not planning on sending anyone on against their will."

"But you _have_ sent a few on." Draco pointed out.

"Yes, but they _wanted_ to go." Tatsumi explained. "There's still a few who are considering it, but I told them it was no rush."

"So you can get Peeves to behave?" Draco asked taking his cauldron off the flame and restarted his stopwatch as he started stirring in the opposite direction.

"It's behave or be gone." Tatsumi said. "Either way, it's our gain. Personally I'm hoping to team him up with the twins."

Snape groaned hearing that.

"But." Tatsumi added. "I'll keep him out of the Hospital Wing and the Potions-rooms. Kisuke's more than happy to provide anything the twins need anyway, so he won't have to steal ingredients anymore. I'll also keep him away from the first-years; they have a hard enough time here as it is, without Peeves pulling the rugs from under their feet."

Draco hummed in agreement as he stopped stirring and restarted his stopwatch. Exactly one minute later he stirred once and cast the stasis-spell over the cauldron.

"Are we finished for today?" Tatsumi asked.

"Yes." Snape answered. He had prepared two bottle-baskets to be delivered to the Hospital Wing. "I'll finish up here while the two of you deliver the baskets to Madam Pomfrey."

 **o000o**

It was just over 8 o'clock when they left the Hospital Wing, having helped Madam Pomfrey to shelf the new batch. Ron and Ginny would be in detention by now; Ron polishing trophies, and Ginny doing God-knows-what with Lockhart. However, shortly after Tatsumi and Draco had parted ways, a long hiss made Tatsumi stop in her tracks.

§Come…Come to me…§ The voice said. §Let me rip you…Let me kill you…§

Tatsumi made her way back to her dorm, then she headed to her bed and started meditating, focusing on her connection to Hogwarts. However, as much as she searched, she couldn't find the source of the hissing; it was as if it had vanished into thin air.

 _/Hogwarts, did you see it?/_ She asked the castle.

 _/I'm sorry./_ Hogwarts responded. _/The creature is hidden from my eyes. My wards have been tampered with./_

 _/What? How?/_ Tatsumi asked.

 _/Godric changed my wards after Salazar left; he feared the rumors of the Chamber and the monster were true./_ Hogwarts said. _/These wards would protect the students from dangers that would harm them. I am not sure when they were disabled, but I believe it was before I became sentient./_

 _/Let me guess./_ Tatsumi said. _/These wards would've prevented both Quirrell and the troll from entering the grounds?/_

 _/Yes./_ Hogwarts said. _/But that's not all./_

 _/What?/_ Tatsumi asked dreading the answer.

 _/I believe the Headmaster altered the wards, so that the dangers which my wards once protected against, are now invisible to me./_ Hogwarts said. _/That's why I did not warn you of the troll… I should've mentioned it earlier./_

 _/You're mentioning it now./_ Tatsumi said reassuringly. _/And you have a thousand years of memories to catch up on. I recon it took you a while to even realize that something **was** wrong with the wards./_

 _/Either way, I shall do better./_ Hogwarts said determined. _/For the sake of the students./_

When Tatsumi woke up from her meditative state, she noticed her roommates were already asleep. She decided to take a shower and get ready for bed herself. She and the twins were going to prank Lockhart soon, and she was excited to see how well their new inventions would work.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 **1)** This scene was inspired by a similar scene in _'Raisin Cain'_ by _'Shivera'_.


	15. Chapter 13 - Petrification

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 _Author's Note: Suggestion_

 ** _(SCROLL DOWN FOR CHAPTER 13)_**

 _Dear Readers._

 _I've recently read '_ Fairy Tail _' by '_ Araceil _', which, in short, is a story where Harry reads the Fairy Tail manga and decided to replicate the magic he read about into the real world. This combined with me binge-watching 'Sword Art Online', has given me an idea that I was really excited about at first, but now I'm doubting myself. SAO had gotten a lot of mixed reviews and, though I can understand why, I actually really enjoyed the series, despite the parts I didn't like. I also enjoyed the Abridged version a bit more than the original._

 _So, I wanted to hear you guys' opinion before I decide whether or not to implement this new idea. Either way it won't be introduced until 'Christmas' in the story, so I've got a few chapters to go before I have to decide._

 _I really want to use this idea to give certain Court-members more screen-time, as I've noticed I have a tendency to forget some of them even exist. Now, I can make certain people into bad-asses even without the SAO idea, but certain others won't be easy. Take Neville for instance; with the SAO idea I can potentially make him into a pretty bad-ass knight, but without it, I don't really know where to begin. Another example I've been thinking about, is to base Daphne off Asuna (who was half healer, half berserker in ALfheim), and Astoria could be based off Yuuki (who was the best swordsman in Alfheim)._

 _Basically my idea is this:_

 _Tatsumi watches SAO over the summer and recognizes certain similarities between Alfheim magic and real Earthland magic, causing her to start a new project where she tries to replicate Alfheim's Fairy Magic as a new type of Support-magic. Though not without difficulty._

 _Her reason for doing this is to increase the Courts' chances of surviving the upcoming war, and at the same time give the wizard-world a 'slap in the face' by proving that magic is not stagnant by nature, but is stagnant because no one is experimenting anymore. She wants to take a jab at the Ministry for all the branches of magic that has been forbidden since the 'Statute of Secrecy' was enforced, and she wants to encourage people to be more creative and adventurous; to start trying to create more spells instead of just memorizing a list that hasn't changed for centuries. She wants to show the word that magic has much more potential than anyone realizes, and that wizards have basically trapped themselves 'inside the box', so to speak._

 _The original idea was to choose nine court-members to represent the nine ALfheim races, but alternatively these nine people could be 'Commanders' of groups of 2-3 people each. This would give even the non-physical combatants of the group a bigger arsenal and the ability to support the physical-combatant in battle. Those with physical-combat skills could then be given special weapons, and sword-skills to match._

 _As it is now, I really think I'm going to use this idea, but, just to be clear, this idea is all about the Courts. None of the Allstars will be using this new magic… except maybe Hermione due to it basically being a new type of Letter Magic… and Tatsumi, who will be the one who actually created the new magic, even if she won't be using it actively, except maybe the wings (I haven't decided)… but the **focus** will be on the Courts, seeing as they will be playing more and more important roles as the story progresses, and I wanted to show some character-development for them before the war breaks out._

 _So let me know what you think._

 _Now on with the chapter!_

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter Thirteen – Pranks and Petrification_**

Tatsumi's head hit the desk. She knew Lockhart was hopeless, but this was utterly ridicules. The guy had been talking and talking and talking, yet he hadn't said anything even remotely related to DADA. The only reason she was bothering with this class today was because the twins had promised it would be worth it.

"Oh dear, I'm out of ink." Lockhart said and seemed to sulk as he walked over to a cabinet.

When he opened the cabinet-doors he was suddenly pushed back by an army of Cornish Pixies who instantly created chaos. Some were carrying various items from the cabinet and dropping them everywhere, others were whacking the students with their books, while some were dancing around with open inkwells of various colors. Two of them latched onto Neville's ears and lifted him towards the ceiling. The rest were grabbing onto Lockhart's clothes and were making a mess of them.

Lockhart did manage to get to his wand out though. "Peskipiski Pesternomi!" He cast.

Tatsumi blinked at the unfamiliar spell, which apparently had no effect at all.

The pixies then attacked and swarmed Lockhart, pulling his robe over his head and behind his back again and then closed the robe leaving the man to stumble around like a headless chicken in a straightjacket.

Sharing a look, Tatsumi and Juvia pulled out their wants and cast. "Immobulus!"

All the pixies froze in place, and Hannah was able to get Neville down from the ceiling while the other students used the Levitation-spell to put the pixies back inside the cabinet, which was then locked with a spell, curtesy of Susan.

"That should do it." Susan said as the class shared a sigh of relief.

"Hey, where'd Lockhart go?" Ernest asked.

 ** _*Boink!*_**

Headless-Chicken-Lockhart had hit his head on the window-glass.

 **o000o**

"What did you say that spell was?" Hermione asked as the second-year study-group were in the library.

"Peskipiski Pesternomi." Juvia repeated for the third time.

"I can't find any reference to it anywhere." Hermione said frustrated. "Are you sure that was it?"

Tatsumi looked at them strangely. "You two haven't figured it out yet?" She asked incredulously. "He made it up."

"Don't be silly." Hermione said. "Why would he use a made-up spell?"

"Because he's an arrogant, self-overestimating idiot?" Tatsumi said. "Think English; five words."

Hermione and Juvia looked back at the spell Hermione had written down. Hermione was the first to realize it, and facepalmed. "Oh, for the love of…" She said kicking herself.

"Juvia doesn't understand." Juvia said confused.

Hermione took the sheet and wrote five words under the so-called spell. **_¤Pesky Pixie Pester No Me.¤_**

"He made it up." Hermione said.

It was so obvious now that she saw it. Any language could be used for spell-creation and -casting, but the language had to be accurate, not to mention the intention had to be clear. In fact, Lockhart would've been better off just saying 'Pesky Pixie Pester Me Not!', as his mind would be a lot more focused on what he was commanding his magic to do.

Refocusing on their homework, the group worked on their potions-essay. Amidst Hermione complaining about the length-restriction, and Neville becoming a stuttering mess as Hannah smiled at him, Tatsumi noticed a certain first-year blond pulling out copies of the first-year course-books from the shelves. Curious, she walked over to where the girl was trying to reach a book that was just out of her reach.

"Hey, Lulu." Tatsumi said, causing the girl to jump a bit. "Need some help?"

"Yes, please." Luna said. "Um, why did you call me 'Lulu'?"

"Well." Tatsumi said taking the book from the shelf. "I figured if your nickname was 'Loony Luna', I'd call you Lulu for short." She grinned as the blond blushed, but then she turned serious. "By the way, why are you using the library's course-books? Don't you have your own?"

"I did, but Nargels have hidden them." Luna said. "They're quite mischievous."

Tatsumi looked at the girl. "You sure?" She asked skeptically. "'Cause I've never seen any in the castle. And, I know for a fact that two of your housemates have a habit of stealing from people they feel like bullying."

Luna looked surprised, she was so used to people not believing her, that Tatsumi's casual response was completely out of the ordinary.

"I take it Hairbrush and Choo Choo have been bothering you then?" Tatsumi asked.

Third-years Marietta Edgecomb and Cho Chang had been bothersome, especially to Hermione, and had made several attempt to steal from her and other Ravenclaw-members of the Study-group, as revenge for not being invited. Marietta had even hit Lisa with a Leg-locker Curse last year, forcing the girl to hop her way to the Great Hall.

"Come here." Tatsumi said when the blond didn't answer.

She led Luna towards the table she had been sitting at with her friends, and made the blond sit down. Tatsumi then ignored her own homework for the remainder of the study-session, instead talking to Luna and helping her. She also asked Hermione and the other Ravens to keep an eye on Marietta and Cho. Secretly, she also asked Hogwarts to speak with the House-elves. So, when Luna returned to her dorm-room that night, she found her missing belongings exactly where she had last left them. She also found a note on her bed; an invite to the study-group, and a copy of their schedule. In the note was also an encouragement to ask Hermione, or any member of the Raven's Court for help if she ever found her belongings missing again.

Luna's lip was trembling as she read the note. She wasn't used to people being nice to her, and being the first Ravenclaw of her year to be invited to the study-group was overwhelming. For years, the closest thing to a friendship she had was with Ginny Weasley, but the redhead had all but abandoned her the moment they stepped foot in the castle. Like all the first-years, she had heard about the Study-group from the first day, and she really envied the comradery that was showing between the members, regardless of House-colors. She was worried about how Ginny would react to the news though, seeing as the redhead had been rejected by the group, but she really wanted friends, as Ginny had never truly been one, and it was a chance she was willing to take.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

The weather was becoming a problem as Quidditch-practice was, more often than not, taking place out in the cold rain. It made Tatsumi feel like a cat rather than a fox, as she was increasingly growing to dislike being wet. It was after one particularly miserable practice, that Tatsumi was approached by her House-ghost, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, otherwise known as 'Nearly-headless Nick' until Tatsumi had – upon request – used her Zanpakutō to sever the half an inch of skin and sinew that had connected his head and neck, which had effectively 'ruined his death', as Nicholas had stated. The newly named 'Headless Nick', had previously been rejected annually by the 'Headless Hunt', an organization by ghosts who had their head completely detached from their bodies, and had been eternally grateful.

Nicholas had invited her to his 500th Deathday Party, and Tatsumi had invited her fellow Allstars, and the twins to go with her. On a whim, she had extended the invitation to Luna, giving the blond an opportunity to write about the party in the next edition of the Quibbler. The article was set to be a great addition to the magazine, as Nicholas had invited the Head of the Headless Hunt, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore, to his party, and had surprised all of his ghostly friends by completely removing his head during his Deathday-speech. When asked how it was possible, Nicholas had merely explained that it was done by a magical sword, as Tatsumi had put her restrictor on Max, to prevent the other ghosts from sensing her Shinigami-blood, and had asked to remain anonymous.

On their way back to their dorms, Luna had let it slip that she somehow knew it was Tatsumi' doing; even hinting that she knew what Tatsumi was, though promising that none of that would make it into the article. It increased their suspicion that Luna was, in fact, a very special girl.

Tatsumi and Hermione shared a look, and Hermione nodded. "Luna." She started, but was distracted when Tatsumi suddenly spun around to face nothing.

They were also surprised to find Luna had the exact same reaction.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"I keep feeling short pulses of Old Moldy's reiatsu." Tatsumi explained and pulled out her Horcrux-necklace, which was giving off a constant glow. "It's the seventh time since the school-year started."

Another wave of reiatsu made her look ahead. Then, without a word, she took off running and the others quickly followed. They ran up to the second floor, and rounded a corner where they saw Ginny Weasley walking down the hallway, but something was wrong.

"Something's obscuring my senses. I can't tell if she's possessed as per definition, but she's definitely not alone." Tatsumi said peeking around the corner.

"I have problems reading her as well." Luna said worried. "It's like something's covering her rather than hiding within her."

"Reading her?" Juvia asked looking at the blond curiously.

"I'm a Spiritual Empath **(AN 1)**." Luna explained. "I read the souls around me."

Tatsumi nodded, it would explain how Luna knew what she was. She then turned her attention back to Ginny only to find the girl had disappeared. "Anyone see where she went?" She asked.

"Sorry." The others said slightly ashamed that they had been distracted so easily.

Tatsumi sighed shaking her head. "We'll find her again, don't worry." She said.

They walked around, trying to follow Tatsumi's necklace for about five minutes before Tatsumi stopped again.

§Rip…Tear…Kill… § A voice said.

"There's the hissing again." Tatsumi thought out loud.

"Slytherin's familiar?" Draco asked.

Tatsumi nodded and put her necklace back under her shirt. She had notified everyone after the first time she had heard the hissing, and they had determined that the monster they were looking for was likely some sort of magical snake, capable of lying dormant for centuries, but they had not identified it yet.

§Soo hungry…Sooo long…§ The voice said.

"It's hunting." Tatsumi said following the hissing. "It's faint, but I can hear it. It's hungry. Can't quite tell where it's coming from, but it's moving."

§I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!...§

They followed the noise and, in the end, they stopped in front of a pool of water and the petrified body of Mrs. Norris, which hung under a message written in blood on the wall.

"'The Chamber of Secrets has opened. Enemies of the Heir beware.'" Juvia read out loud and frowned; it was another sign that Voldemort might be back in the castle.

"Hagrid will be missing some chickens apparently." Tatsumi said sniffing the blood as she gently took Mrs. Norris' body down from the wall.

"Poor Nori." Hermione said horrified. "Is she dead?"

"She's not dead." Luna whispered, she was far paler than normal.

"Luna." Draco said sensing that the blond was distressed. "Could you get the Professors?"

Luna was still shaking as she nodded, and set off to get the professors. Dinner was still in session, so when she returned shortly after, she had several professors, and Filch, with her. Followed by the entire student-population.

"My cat!" Filch screamed seeing his cat. He ran over, but appeared too scared to take his beloved companion from Tatsumi's arms.

"If this is a prank then so help me God I'll-" One of the female Professors started, but Draco interrupted her as he knew she was about blaming them.

"Oh, knock it off!" He snapped. "We lack both the power and the skill to do a permanent petrification." It was a total lie, but she didn't know that **(AN 2)**.

"You brats have unusually high magic-levels." The Professor insisted. "And many of the pureblood families have private libraries filled with god-knows-what."

Her silent accusation didn't go over well with Tatsumi. "Also there are a number of _other_ students who have been let loose in the Restricted Section in the library!" She snapped back.

Hermione backed her up. "It's funny what you Professors will allow as long as the student isn't a Slytherin." She said giving the professor a stern glare.

"Most of the Professors keep preaching about equality yet you discriminate the snakes." Tatsumi continued. "It's one of many reasons why I think your culture is utterly _stupid_ ; how you can think that exactly one fourth of your students are evil, just because of the house they're in, is _beyond_ my comprehension."

"I'm sure no-one is pointing any fingers." Dumbledore injected smoothly. "Pomona, you have been growing mandrakes, correct?"

"Y-Yes, but they won't be ready for quite some time…" Sprout said. She was reeling after the scolding her colleague had just received, because she realized it involved her as well.

"Very well. I doubt Mrs. Norris will come to any great harm if she remains as she is for the time being." Dumbledore said.

"Buy them in." Luna interrupted. "She's aware."

"We don't know that, Miss Lovegood." McGonagall said.

"But I feel it!" The blond insisted, she was getting increasingly more distraught by the minute. "Her body may be frozen, but her soul is not! I can feel her despair!"

Seeing the blond was about to have a breakdown, Hermione quickly removed her from the scene, and took her to the Hospital Wing for a Calming Draught.

 ** _*A long silence.*_**

"Tatsu-sama." Juvia said. "Can you restore her, like you did with the Whomping Willow?"

"That was you?" Sprout asked shocked.

Tatsumi ignored her and turned to Juvia. "I don't know." She said. "I mean, I can _try_ , but…"

Filch grabbed her by the shoulders. "Please save my cat!" He begged.

Tatsumi was surprised, even with Mrs. Norris liking them, Filch hadn't been very friendly. Still, she nodded determinedly. "I'll do my best." She said. "Nori's my friend too."

She handed the petrified cat over to him and held her hands over Mrs. Norris' body. "Shuno, Ayame. Soten Kisshun, I reject!" She chanted and an orange dome surrounded the cat.

The other students started tittering in awe and excitement, but McGonagall quickly ushered them to their dorms, with some difficulty. Everyone wanted to see what was happening. Tatsumi knew that doing this while Dumbledore was watching was a bad idea, but he wouldn't understand her Shun Shun Rikka's true power. Still, she made a mental note to keep her Memory-modification-device in her pocket at all times.

After 15 tense minutes, Mrs. Norris moved slightly, making Filch sob in relief. The other Professors were watching in awe.

"Please don't move her, Mr. Filch." Tatsumi said. "I'm not quite done yet."

"Remarkable." One said, though Tatsumi was too focused to tell who it was.

Another twenty minutes later, Mrs. Norris was being examined by Madam Pomfrey, who gave her a clean bill of health that had Filch dancing in happiness with his beloved cat in his arms.

"I've never heard of any magic that could perform such restoration without potions." Madam Pomfrey said. "May I ask how you required it?"

"My mother." Tatsumi said knowing Dumbledore was still listening. "My adopted one, that is. It was a gift of hers that was passed on to me."

"I see." Madam Pomfrey said. "It is truly remarkable. You must be exhausted."

"I'm fine, really." Tatsumi insisted sensing the danger of having to spend a night in a hospital bed.

"Nonsense!" Madam Pomfrey said sternly. "The amount of magic you must have used… I insist you stay the night to rest."

Tatsumi quickly looked to Draco and Juvia for help, but it was no use to argue with the old Healer, less they feel her wrath, so Tatsumi didn't have much choice but to lay down on a bed.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

"Where did that idiot go now?" Susan asked annoyed that Lockhart was late for what was their first class of the day.

As cold and flu was going around, many students, including Susan, were starting to feel ill and that made Lockhart's class even more intolerable.

Tatsumi, however, had expected the man to be late. "I messed with his map." She said, not bothering to look up from her potions book. "Put a spell on it so it would change randomly every minute."

"So, how long until he gets here?" Lavender asked.

"If we're lucky; about thirty seconds before class ends." Tatsumi said grinning.

"Shouldn't he be familiar with the way here though?" Juvia asked rather skeptical. "After all, it's been months."

"Wouldn't he already be here if he was?" Hannah reasoned as she looked up from her Herbology-book. She had always dreamed of being a Healer, and now, as part of the Shadow's Court, she was determined to put her talents to good use when the war broke out again.

Juvia sweatdropped. "Good point." She said.

 **o000o**

"Did you really have to interrogate Binns?" Juvia asked Hermione.

The two had just come from their shared History-class, and were sitting by the Gryffindor table for lunch, along with Draco and Luna.

"I wanted to know if he knew anything about the Chamber that we didn't." Hermione explained.

"Did he?" Draco asked curiously

Hermione shook her head. "We're still not any closer to identifying the monster." She said. "Nori's petrification is certainly a clue, but…"

"I talked to Hagrid this morning." Tatsumi said. "He's been missing chickens, but he also found his roosters murdered, which is weird."

"Someone's feeding the snake." Draco said. "But why just kill the roosters?"

"Maybe the snake hates roosters?" Luna suggested. She was a bit uncomfortable because Ginny was glaring at her.

"I think I've read about something like that." Hermione said thinking out loud. "But I can't remember which book, or the context."

Suddenly, Ginny was next to her. "So, you excited for your first match this weekend?" She asked Tatsumi.

Tatsumi blinked, and looked around for the people that had been sitting around her, some of which were now gone, leaving room for the girl to sneak in. "Sure…" She answered slowly.

"I can't wait to see you fly." Ginny said eagerly. "I _love_ Quidditch, and I can't wait to try out for the team next year."

Oliver choked on his drink, and started coughing. He had seen how the girl acted during her trial-period with the study-group, and there was no way in hell he was going to let that ticking time-bomb on _his_ team. He had heard about Mrs. Weasley's famous temper, and Ginny takes after her mother in all the worst ways.

Ginny, however, doesn't seem to have noticed his reaction at all. "I'm so jealous." She continued. "I heard you could've joined the team in your _first_ year, and I can't _believe_ you didn't take it! You would've been the youngest Seeker in a century! It would've been such a great honor and-"

 ** _*Clank!*_**

Ginny stopped talking when Tatsumi roughly put her tea-cup down.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear to you." Tatsumi growled. "The only people who are allowed to give me special treatment are those I consider _family_! Actually, sucking up to me is the _best_ way to get yourself on my _bad_ side, if you're not already on it!" Tatsumi stood. "Which, by the way, you are." She then hooked her school-bag over her shoulder and left the table, followed by her friends and her Court, leaving Ginny speechless and alone.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

The first match of the season started at 11 AM the following Saturday. It was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and this would be Tatsumi and Draco's first time competing against each other outside of class.

"Captains, shake hands!" Madam Hooch ordered.

Flint and Oliver did as told, but the handshake was more like a contest on who could squeeze harder, and who could glare harder, than the other. Draco and Tatsumi shared a look, then both rolled their eyes in unison.

On Hooch's whistle, the teams took to the air, and the match started. Tatsumi flew higher than anyone else, and scowered the field for the Snitch. However, shortly after, she spotted a Bludger heading straight for her, and performed a barrel-roll to avoid it. George followed the Bludger and gave it a hard smack towards Adrian, but the Bludger never reached him, instead it changed direction and headed directly at Tatsumi again. Tatsumi dived out of the way, and George was able to hit the Bludger again. But the Bludger swung like a boomerang, seemingly determined to hit Tatsumi. Tatsumi flew at top speed across the field, but the Bludger never wavered.

As the Bludger bit as her heels, she ducked under Fred's club and he struck the Bludger as hard as he could, sending it off course, but, yet again, the Bludger turned around. To make matters worse, it started to rain, and visibility decreased. The twins were undeterred though, and stuck close to her to fight off the rouge Bludger.

"Tatsu!"

Tatsumi looked up to see Draco with a questioning look. "Someone's bewitched the Bludger!" She yelled just in time for Fred to strike the Bludger again, but doing so made him lose his balance and he fell behind.

"Let's finish the match quickly!" Draco yelled seeing the Bludger make a u-turn.

Tatsumi agreed and shot to the sky again. With the fastest broom on her team, she decided to try and out fly the thing. Draco kept his eye on her as well, ready to help if she needed it. He didn't really care who won the match, not with the Bludger being rigged, but the faster the Snitch was caught the faster they could end the match.

Suddenly, Tatsumi changed direction, and, looking ahead, Draco saw what she had seen, the Snitch, and flew after her. He may not be fast enough to get the Snitch before her, given her head start, but he could shield her from the Bludger. Which is what he did; the moment Tatsumi's fingers closed around the little golden ball, the Bludger seemed to gain speed and she would not have been able to dodge it. Draco put himself in between them, but the impact threw his body into Tatsumi, causing both of them to fall off their brooms.

Tatsumi quickly realized Draco had been knocked unconscious, and hugged his body close as they fell heads first towards the ground. She then held out her hand in front of her. "Bakudo #37 – Tsuribushi!" She chanted creating a ball of blue energy which shot ahead of them and fired six ropes from its center, which attached itself to the towers and solidified into a flat, elastic-like cushion that caught their fall.

 **o000o**

Draco woke up in the middle of the night. He was confused at first, then a sharp pain in his arm reminded him of what had happened. "What the hell? The Bludger didn't hit me that hard." He said, then he noticed his arm was more like a rubber-glove than an arm

"Skele-gro." A voice said.

Draco looked to his right to see Tatsumi sitting by his bed, in spirit-form with crossed arms and one leg propped up against his bed.

"Why do I need Skele-gro!" He asked lowly in disbelief. "Wasn't a normal mending-potion enough?"

"It probably would've been, but Lockhart insisted on treating you, and accidentally removed all 33 bones in your arm." Tatsumi said.

"That moron." Draco growled, then shook his head and looked back at her. "Are you alright?"

Tatsumi nodded. "I'm fine." She said. "Though I had a certain elf to hunt down afterwards."

"An elf?" Draco asked, then realized who she was talking about. "Don't tell me…" he facepalmed.

"Dobby." Tatsumi said. "Apparently it was Dumbles who first gave him the idea to 'rescue' me from the dangers inside the castle this year. Maggie asked him to keep pretending to want me as far away from the school as possible, to keep the old fart from becoming suspicious."

"And the Bludger was supposed to be dangerous enough to make you want to go home or something?" Draco concluded.

"Something like that. I'm not sure what Dumbles wants to achieve with this though." Tatsumi said. Then she turned her head towards the door. "Someone's coming."

The door to the Hospital Wing opened, and Draco laid back down pretending to be asleep. It was Dumbledore, he was walking backwards into the room, dressed in his night-clothes, and was carrying what appeared to be a statue, with McGonagall holding the other end.

"Colin?" Tatsumi breathed seeing the 'statue' being laid in a bed before McGonagall went to get Madam Pomfrey, who gasped as she saw the petrified boy.

"What's happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked whispering.

"Another attack." Dumbledore whispered. "Minerva found him on the stairs." He then carefully tore the camera out of the petrified boy's hands.

"You think he might have gotten a picture of his attacker?" McGonagall asked.

Dumbledore didn't answer, but opened the camera and a cloud of steam emerged. The stench of burned plastic filled the room.

"Dear Lord." Madam Pomfrey breathed. "Melted… completely melted…"

"But what does that _mean_ , Albus?" McGonagall asked desperate for answers.

"It means…" Dumbledore started. "That the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again."

McGonagall looked at him pleadingly. "But Albus… it has to be… but _who_ …" She struggled to comprehend.

"The question is not _'who'_." Dumbledore said. "But _'how'_."

"There's nothing I can do for the boy without Mandrakes." Madam Pomfrey said. "Minerva, will you tell Miss Kurosaki to come here in the morning? If she saved Argus' cat, then perhaps she can save the boy as well."

Tatsumi groaned. "Do I have to?" She whined.

Draco had to stifle a laugh, but his shoulders were shaking under the cover.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Tatsumi had a headache. Restoring Colin had left her with a more significant drain, and the boy had immediately started talking and hadn't stopped yet. Currently, she was on a Hospital bed and pinching her nose while Colin was telling her all about the new camera he was expecting to get for his birthday.

"COLIN!" She yelled, having finally had enough. "My head feels as if it's been run over by a train, will you _please_ just _shut up_!"

"Sorry!" The boy squeaked, and stayed quiet for several seconds. "Are you still mad at me for listening to Ginny?" He asked carefully.

Tatsumi sighed. "Look, no one has the right to tell you who you should, and shouldn't, listen to. Not even me." She said. "But you can't take the first thing you hear as fact. Ginny was given a _fair_ trial when she applied to the study-group, but her attitude and behavior sucked. When people tried to help her and point out any mistakes she had made in her assignments, she would call them names; she called the Hufflepuffs 'stupid idiots who didn't know what they were talking about', she called the Ravenclaws 'know-it-all-teacher's-pets', and she called the Slytherins 'saboteurs'. She wasn't any friendlier towards the Gryffindors either, snapping at them and telling them to 'bug off'. That's not the kind of attitude we want in the group, and people who act like Ginny did, are not welcome."

"Oh." Colin said looking ashamed. "Am _I_ still welcome?"

"You're welcome to apply, just like anyone else, Colin." Tatsumi assured him. "We don't judge people for who they're friends with. Your trial will be based on you, and your behavior alone."

Colin smiled.

"When you get that other camera, maybe we can have you make a brochure for the group, or something." Tatsumi said.

"Really?" Colin asked excited.

Tatsumi shrugged. "Well, if Ginny's been going around telling people lies, we should counter-attack, don't you think?" She grinned.

Colin nodded excessively. "I won't let you down!" He said determined to do a good job.

Madam Pomfrey chased him out a few moments later, and he passed Hermione and Juvia as they walked through the door, the two took seats next to Tatsumi, and Draco pulled his chair closer as well.

"How's your arm?" Juvia asked.

"Stiff, but fully healed." Draco said.

"And Tatsu has a headache because…?" Hermione asked.

"Colin was petrified last night." Tatsumi explained. "I've spent an hour restoring him."

Hermione nodded. "Did you find out who cursed the Bludger?" She asked.

"Dobby did." Draco said, then thought about something. "You think he was the one to close the barrier at King's Cross as well?"

"He was." Tatsumi said. "Though I'm not sure why he locked Ron out."

"Payback for the trouble he's caused you, I'd guess." Draco said. "That elf practically hero-worships you."

"But why would Dobby do these things?" Juvia asked.

Tatsumi explained to them what Dobby had told her the previous night, which then turned to conversation back to the Chamber of Secrets.

"I've asked my Court to scower the library for any serpent that could fit the information we have." Hermione said. "Hopefully we'll find something."

"We should ask Percy and the twins to keep an eye on Ginger too." Tatsumi said. "I don't think it was a coincidence that we saw her just before the first attack. She might be the one with the Horcrux."

"If it can be worn, like we suspect, she could be possessed by it." Draco speculated. "But where would she had gotten a hold of something so foul?"

"Juvia will ask the twins if they've noticed anything new." Juvia said. "Maybe a new piece of jewelry, or something."

Unfortunately, they didn't have much time to speculate, as Madam Pomfrey chased them all out, except for Tatsumi who was given a Headache-potion and a Pepper-up, and put on bed-rest for half an hour. Tatsumi was even able to use her Memory-modification-device on the Headmaster, who came to inquire about her abilities. She then left the Hospital Wing, laughing as she left a very confused Headmaster in the clutches of the very thorough Madam Pomfrey examining him for memory-loss.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Unfortunately, hyperactive Colin had told anyone who would listen about his petrification, and it had sparked plenty of rumors and caused a lot of panicked tension to build amongst the students. No one wanted to walk the halls alone, and the students were desperate for talismans and amulets that would protect them. Even Neville, who had been doing so well, seemed to have a major setback, buying what appeared to be a large, stinky onion, a rotten salamander-tail, and a sharp, purple crystal, despite people trying to assure him that he was an unlikely target as a pureblood. Neville tried arguing that he was close to Squib, which earned him a smack from both Tatsumi and Hannah, who reminded him that he wasn't a member of the Dragon's Court for nothing. He had even proved as much during their next DADA lesson, when Lockhart had run off screaming and never came back.

"I never get tired of a Lockhart-session." Tatsumi laughed as the students left the classroom more than an hour early. "Too bad we won't be able to freak him out like this anymore."

"We won't?" Juvia asked.

Tatsumi shook her head. "There are flyers going up about a Dueling-class." She explained. "From what I understand, they've received so many complaints about Lockhart that their replacing DADA with 'Dueling' for the remainder of the year."

Tatsumi pulled a copy of the flyer up from her pocket and handed it to Juvia, who read it. "It says Lockhart will be the main instructor." Juvia said. "But Snape will be assisting him."

"It also means I'll have to find other ways to prank him." Tatsumi said disappointed. "Dueling classes will be fun though."

"Itching to show off, ne?" Juvia teased.

"More like itching for a fight." Tatsumi admitted. "I mean, training is good and all, but I wanna beat someone up."

They walked for a little bit in silence, heading towards their next class.

"Why don't you prank Lockhart in his office?" Juvia suggested. She had enjoyed the pranks.

Tatsumi blinked, then grinned wickedly. "Now why didn't I think of that?" She cooed.

Lockhart was doomed.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Humming to himself, Gilderoy Lockhart was happily replying to fan-letters, giving each reply a signed photograph. He noticed with a frown that he was out of ink, and stood up and walked to the cabinet to get some more. As soon as he opened the doors, however, he was met with an explosion of yellow smoke, sending him into a coughing-fit. He fumbled around, trying to get the powder out of his eyes, before reaching for one of his many mirrors to make sure his beloved looks were intact. One look, and a high-pitched scream was heard all the way to Hagrid's hut where the Allstars had gathered for a nice chat and a cup of tea.

"Wha' in God's name is tha'?" Hagrid asked confused.

The group looked at each other, and laughed.

With Tatsumi and Draco's combined skills and ideas, it was easy to invent several potions of their own, which was bad news to people they didn't like. Lockhart had now been introduced to a weird combination of a polyjuice-potion and the potion that revealed your Animagus-form. As such Lockhart would be caught looking like a bright yellow half-animal-thing for the next few days.

They later found out Lockhart's Animagus form was a peacock.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 **1)** I decided that Luna in this story will have certain abilities in common with Draconis from my other series called 'Sleeping Dragons', which has been taken down temporaily. There will, however, be differences, one of which being that Luna can see people's souls, while Draconis cannot.

 **2)** This scene is also inspired by _'Raising Cain'_ by _'Shivera'._


	16. Chapter 14 - Valentines

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Fourteen – Dueling Class and Valentines_**

Dueling was to be held in the Great Hall, and was a combined class for all years. It was held after dinner, and the four House-tables had been replaced by a long, golden podium running along one of the walls, and was surrounded by candles. Soon, Lockhart strutted onto the platform, dressed in spectacular, plum-colored robes, and was followed by Snape, who looked as if he'd rather be knitting fluffy, pink sweaters for hairless kittens, than being here to 'assist' the peacock.

"Gather around, gather around!" Lockhart spoke loudly. "Can everyone hear me? Excellent! Professor Dumbledore has given me permission to start the Dueling-class to teach you all how to defend yourselves, as I have done on countless occasions – you'll find more details in my astonishing works."

Lockhart smiled brightly as his teeth sparkled. "Now, let me introduce my assistant." He continued. "Professor Snape tells me he knows a tiny bit of dueling himself, and has volunteered for a demonstration before we begin. Don't worry, children! Your potion's Master will still be alive once I'm done with him."

With the look Snape was giving him, you'd think the idiot would stop smiling, but no; Lockhart seemed completely oblivious to anything not related to himself.

"Wouldn't it be great if they killed each other?"

Tatsumi looked to her left, expecting to see Ginny, but there stood Ron with a grin on his face as if he'd just said something funny. Tatsumi walked wordlessly away from the prat, leaving him hanging.

Meanwhile, Lockhart and Snape bowed to each other; well, Lockhart bowed with a number of hand-gestures, and Snape nodded his head irritably. Then they lifted their wands.

"As you can see." Lockhart said. "We are holding our wands in the correct battle-position. At the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Naturally neither of us are looking to kill."

Looking at Snape, you wouldn't be so sure about that, but Lockhart was still as oblivious as ever. On the count of three, they both raised their wands up over their shoulders in preparation to cast a spell, but Snape was the faster of the two.

"Expelliarmus!"

Lockhart was slammed into the wall by a blinding, red light. He slowly slid down the wall to the floor, and laid there for a moment before he struggled to get up and back on the platform with wobbly steps. His hat was missing and his normally wavy hair was standing out in all directions.

"There you have it!" Lockhart said still smiling. "That was the Disarming Charm, and, as you can see, I've lost my wand."

Lavender handed him said wand.

"Thank you, Miss Brown." Lockhart said. "Now, Professor Snape, excellent idea to show them that, though if you don't mind me saying so, it was obvious that you had this in mind. If I had wanted to stop you, it would've been easy for me to do so, but I figured it would be instructively to let the students see it."

If looks could kill, still-oblivious-Lockhart would be dead several times over.

"But that's enough of a demonstration for now." Lockhart continued. "Let's see how well you do for yourselves. Miss Po- erh, Kurosaki, why don't you come up here."

Tatsumi reluctantly stepped up on the platform.

"Now, who should your opponent be…?" Lockhart said looking around.

A hand was raised. "I'll do it." It was Blaise Zabini, a rival of Draco's for control over Slytherin House.

"Excellent!" Lockhart said as Zabini made his way to the platform with a devilish grin; the boy obviously had a plan.

They bowed and mimicked the stances Snape and Lockhart had shown. "Ready?" Lockhart said. "Begin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Zabini cast.

Tatsumi swung her wand down in a straight line, casting a silent Shield-charm. Then, it was her turn to try and disarm her opponent. Zabini dodged, however, and they started throwing spells back and forth, and Zabini appeared to get more and more frustrated with every spell she blocked. Especially when she threw silent spells at him.

She had just struck him with a Color-changing Charm when he finally had enough. "Serpentsoria!" He cast.

A long, venomous snake landed in the middle of the platform. Confused and angry, the snake looked for someone to lash out on. Zabini smirked, but Tatsumi just lowered her wand and stepped closer to the snake, which instantly turned to her and hissed threateningly. Tatsumi pointed her wand at the snake and hissed. The snake, as if moving with her wand, then turned to face Zabini and let out an even more malicious hiss that made the boy jump back a few steps. The snake charged at him, and he stepped backwards so quickly that he tripped over his own feet. He raised his wand, but it flew out of his hand. Tatsumi caught the wand and walked closer. The snake charged at Zabini again, determined to bite him, and the boy screamed and tried to shield himself with his arms, but the snake was banished before it could sink its fangs into him.

Zabini looked up, Tatsumi stood just feet away. She shrugged. "What? Did you think I was hiding this, or something?" She taunted. "Look around, Zabini. I'd be surprised if the entire school doesn't already know."

She tossed him his wand and turned around as she walked away. She had been openly practicing her Parsel-magic in front of the Study-group for a while, partially because she needed the practice, but also to desensitize the other students of the notion that it was a 'evil' trait.

"Marvelous!" Lockhart praised, but she passed him without even looking at him. "And silent casting as well! I'm a better teacher than I thought! Well done, Miss Kurosaki."

She ignored him and walked over to her friends.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

By the next morning, the study-group found the application-box filled with applications. Tatsumi's demonstration of skill during the Dueling-class seemed to have sparked a brand new interest in the group. The Courts took turns going through the small mountain of parchment, though they had plenty of time, as the last Herbology-classes of the term were canceled due to a blizzard that covered the school.

Later that afternoon, the news of a third attack spread, and Tatsumi was once again asked to go to the Hospital Wing, to restore Hufflepuff Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Headless Nick for some strange reason. However, she was also becoming the source of controversy, as rumors flew around about her. Some were positive, saying that she would be able to save anyone who was attacked, and that she would surely destroy the monster when she found it. But others were of the opposite opinion, saying she was the Heir of Slytherin and was purposely having people attacked so she could make everyone think she was a hero.

Though, to be honest, the only reason why more people weren't blaming her for the attacks, was because most students knew she had no problems with half-bloods and muggleborns. If anything, it was the stuck-up 'Dark' _purebloods_ she had a problem with, and she was quick to put them in their place whenever they did something she didn't approve of. So, not much seemed to have changed, really. Though there _was_ a few obnoxious Gryffindors – Ron, Ginny, and another girl – who decided to follow her around after the third attack. As such the Allstars found themselves using the abandoned girls' bathroom on the second floor as a temporary refuge.

"Those three are _so_ getting pranked." Tatsumi muttered darkly as she sat on the floor and looked around.

"We'll help." The others chorused, they too were annoyed.

"You know; this place looks fairly clean." Juvia said. "Why was it abandoned?"

"This bathroom is home to Moany Myrtle." Hermione explained.

"Who's Moany Myrtle?" Juvia asked.

" _I'm_ Moany Myrtle!" A ghost-girl said irritated coming out of one of the stalls.

"Oh, sorry." Juvia apologized.

Myrtle seemed a little put out that someone had apologized to her, but simply moaned and let herself float to the ceiling.

"I hope you don't mind me asking." Tatsumi said "But why are you here? All the other ghost can wander the castle, but I've never really seen you around."

Myrtle moaned again. "I died here." She said.

"Odd place to be killed." Draco said. "Do you know who did it?"

Myrtle shook her head. "I just came out of the stall and suddenly I was dead." She moaned again. "All I remember is a pair of yellow eyes."

Myrtle then disappeared, probably to avoid more questions. Though Tatsumi would return here later that night, in spirit-form, and talk to Myrtle again; and after a heart-to-heart, Myrtle decided she didn't want to be a laughing-stock anymore, and agreed to move on to Soul Society, where she would hopefully be much, much happier.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

By the end of term, almost every student went home for the Christmas holidays. The fear of staying at the castle was overwhelming after the most recent attack, especially since the only person able to restore the victims was going home to Japan. Some would argue that her going home would make the castle safer, but when push came to shove they didn't want to risk it.

For Tatsumi, the holidays were quiet, as her friends were all celebrating with their families this year. Even Juvia was home with her father, whose health wasn't getting any better, and she was worried this would be her last Christmas with him. The Weasley's were in Egypt, visiting the oldest son, and the twins had promised to get Tatsumi something from their trip. Tatsumi had already finished her Christmas-shopping, though she was only giving the twins money, as they wanted to save up to create their own Joke-shop. She had also finished going through the yearly amount of fan-mail, which included several thank-you letters from other Hogwarts-students this year.

She had also given Mrs. Norris a toy-mouse that Kisuke had invented for Yoruichi; Nami had received one as well, and Filch was given a supply of his favorite cleaning-products; she had asked him, and that's what he wanted, so that's what he got.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

When they returned to Hogwarts, Juvia was obviously worried about her father, and kept cuddling with Nami, her cat, for comfort, but there wasn't anything she could do. As the weeks went by, she would actually receive letters back from her father, unlike the previous one and a half years. It seemed Lord Moon had finally realized how much his daughter meant to him, now that he was standing on death's door, and the majority of his letters were of the apologetic nature, containing the many regrets he now had for not being a better father. Most arrangements were already made as well; Ichigo would become her permanent guardian when her father passed away, and the goblins of Gringotts would handle the family-affairs until she became off age. Lord Moon had even made his own funeral-arrangements, and had seen to his Will.

Meanwhile, things seemed to lighten up amongst the students, as the attacks seemed to have ended. Lockhart of course, was taking credit for that; claiming the 'Heir of Slytherin' had wizened up, as there was only a matter of time before he caught the Heir red-handed. At the same time, Tatsumi noticed her necklace no longer reacted inside the Gryffindor-dorms, and the twins had told her that Ginny appeared to be much happier than she had been prior to the holidays. Though, at the time, they had thought she was affected by the same fear that had affected the other students. It was still possible, but she was the only suspect they had, and she appeared to have gotten rid of the Horcrux somewhere. Tatsumi just hoped she'd find it before anyone else did.

Then came February, and the day Tatsumi liked least of all; Valentine's Day. It was the day she got the most fan-mail out of any day of the year, except her birthday, and she usually spent the day sulking and missing her husband. Last year, Hermione had joined her in her sulking, and they had shared stories of past Valentine's celebrations while finding creative ways of disposing of the mountain of chocolate spiked with Love-potions. This year, however, was predicted to be the worst yet, but no one could predict just what was in store when they walked into the Great Hall for breakfast.

Tatsumi found herself standing in the doorway in utter shock. Giant, neon-pink flowers covered the walls, and heart-shaped confetti was raining from the ceiling. In the end, Fay had to push her to the table where she noticed more than a few people looking sick. The overbearing scent of flowers was certainly nauseating with its sickly-sweet aroma. It was enough to make Tatsumi loose her apatite, and that was before she spotted Lockhart, dressed in a robe that matched the walls, and preparing to make an announcement.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" He said happily. "And let me begin by thanking all 46 who have already sent me Valentine's cards. I have taken the opportunity to arrange this little surprise for your all – and this is not the end of it."

Lockhart clapped his hands, and the doors opened to reveal a dozen or so dwarfs that entered the hall in line. They didn't look very happy, but considering what they were wearing, no one could blame them; they were dressed as cupids, with golden wings and harps.

"My lovely Post-Cupids!" Lockhart cooed proudly. "Throughout the day, they will be delivering valentine's card for you all. And that's not all; I'm sure my colleagues will be happy to participate in the day's events. Why not ask Professor Snape to make you a love-potion-"

 ** _*SNARL!*_**

Tatsumi's snarls sent Lockhart diving under the table. "Those things are no better off than the Imperious Curse, you twat!" She yelled at him. She had had enough, and marched out of the hall before she did something she'd regret.

 **o000o**

Tatsumi changed appearance several times throughout the day, in order to lose any dwarf that came her way, and, when it was time for dinner, she was hiding in Myrtle's old bathroom to avoid the terror that was the Great Hall at the moment. Hermione had offered join her as well, and was currently visiting the kitchen for some food to bring up for the two of them. The House-elves would be more than happy to cater to her. Meanwhile, Tatsumi, who currently looked like a young Lily Evans, was looking around the now peaceful, but still unused bathroom. In a corner of the room, she found a thin, black book. It looked a little worse for wear, and looked as if someone had thrown it into the room and left it. She bent down and picked it up, and as she straightened she suddenly realized her Horcrux-necklace was searing hot. She pulled the necklace out of her shirt, and saw it was shining brighter than she had ever seen it previously.

She'd found the Horcrux.

Just then Hermione entered the bathroom with a basket of food and butterbeer. "I'm going to add House-elves to my list of Wizengamot-topics." She said. "I know they like to work, but we can help improve their quality of life."

"Not _just_ house-elves either." Tatsumi reminded her. "Think about how Remus would've lived if he had remained in Britain, and how others like him suffer."

Hermione nodded, and the girls sat down in a corner of the room. "What did you find?" Hermione asked seeing the book.

Tatsumi showed her the necklace, and put the book into her school-bag; they would deal with it later. Hermione was relieved they had finally found the thing, and took a bite of her dinner before turning back to Tatsumi.

"Is there any limits to your Metamorphmagi?" She asked curiously.

Tatsumi blinked at the question. "What are you thinking?" She asked.

"Well, I know you can mimic animal-traits." Hermione said. "But what about gender?"

Tatsumi looked at her wide eyes. "I've never thought about that!" She exclaimed, her hair changing colors in response to her excitement. "I'ma go try that!" She ran out of the bathroom.

She ran all the way to the Great Hall, ignoring the horrible decorations and ran to the Slytherin-table where Draco was siting. "I need to borrow a uniform off you!" She told him.

He looked at her incredulously. "Why- wait, are you going to…?" He asked realizing what she had in mind.

"Mione asked if I could, but I've never tried, so I'ma try it." Tatsumi said.

He looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "You know which bed is mine." Was all he said, and Tatsumi squealed and hugged him before running out of the hall.

The Royal Court looked at Draco in confusion. "Who was that?" Theo asked.

"Our resident Dragoness is a Metamorphmagus." He said lowly.

" _That's_ how she's been hiding from Lockhart's dwarfs!" Daphne exclaimed. She knew first-hand how humiliating those dwarfs were, especially when it came to singing-valentines.

 **o000o**

For the rest of the day, young carbon-copies of James and Lily Potter could be seen throughout the castle, confusing the fuck out of the teachers, and giving Snape nightmares for several nights to come, and 'James' could even be seen entering and exiting Lockhart office, before he and 'Lily' mysteriously disappeared. Later that same night, Lockhart was once again happily replying to fan-letters, and was enjoying the mountain of boxed chocolates he had received. He was smiling and humming to himself, however his smile faltered when he was once again out of ink. He had learned from the previous pranks though, and made sure to have an extra ink-well in one of the drawers of his desk. Unfortunately for him, this particular ink-well wasn't filled with ink, and the moment he removed the cap, a horrible smell reached his nose, and he slammed the cap back on before sneezing. The exposure to air had activated the potion, however, and the ink-well exploded as the potion expanded. The strange, blue goop continued to expand, and grow, and swallow everything it touched. Lockhart, being an idiot, grabbed the growing goop with his hands, probably thinking he could throw it out of the window or something, but was swallowed long before he reached the window.

 **o000o**

Severus opened the door to Lockhart's office, having delayed this meeting as long as he could, but was met with a wall of crystallized…something…it was rock hard to the touch and, as he tried to look inside, he could see his colleague frozen inside. Straightening up, Severus merely closed the door and walked away. He knew very well _who_ had created the monstrosity, but right now he just didn't give a damn.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**


	17. Chapter 15 - Hagrid

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Fifteen – Hagrid's Tale_**

"You really think this is a good idea?" Hannah asked nervously.

The Courts were gathered in the RoR, and the Horcrux-book was lying on the floor in front of Tatsumi, encased in a kido-barrier. Tsubaki was flying next to Tatsumi.

"There's only one way to know for sure if the Horcrux is able to open the Chamber." Draco said, but he wasn't very thrilled either.

"Tatsu-sama has the strongest will-power out of all of us." Juvia said uncomfortably.

"But what if something goes wrong?" Terry asked worried.

"That's why I'm here!" Tsubaki said. As time went by, several members of the Courts were becoming spiritually aware. "If anything happens I'll get the book out of her hands before you know it!"

Knowing they couldn't talk her out of it, the Courts stood back and watched as Tatsumi widened the barrier to encase her and Tsubaki as well, then she picked up the book and opened it. The pages were blank, but the diary was recent enough to have the ink-storing spells on it, so she grabbed her quill and dipped it in ink.

 ** _¤Tell me your secrets.¤_** She wrote, then waited.

The ink seeped into the paper, and vanished. Then writing appeared as if the diary was sentient.

¤ ** _May I ask who's asking?¤_**

 ** _¤I'm Tatsumi.¤_** Tatsumi wrote. ¤ ** _And you?_** ¤

¤ ** _Hello Tatsumi._** ¤ The book wrote. ¤ ** _I am Tom Marvolo Riddle. May I ask how you got a hold of my diary?_** ¤

¤ ** _I found it in a bathroom._** ¤ Tatsumi wrote. **¤ _I think someone had tried to get rid of it.¤_**

¤ ** _I always knew someone would try to get rid of my diary._** ¤ The book wrote.

¤ ** _Why is that?¤_** Tatsumi wrote.

¤ ** _This diary contains notes of terrible things._** ¤ The book wrote. ¤ ** _Things that were kept secret. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._** ¤

¤ ** _That's where I am now!¤_** Tatsumi wrote, playing naive.¤ ** _I'm at Hogwarts right now, and terrible things are happening! Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?¤_**

The answer came quickly, and the writing became messier, as if someone was hurrying to write everything down. ¤ ** _Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my time they said it was a legend, that it didn't exist. But it was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened, and the monster attacked several students, and killed one. I caught the guy who had opened the Chamber, and he was expelled. However, Headmaster Dippet was so ashamed that something like this could happen at Hogwarts, that he forbade me to ever speak of it, and instead it was said that the girl who was killed had died in a random accident. I received a nice, shiny, engraved award for my troubles, and was told to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it would happen again. The monster was still alive, and the one with the power to release it, was never arrested.¤_**

 ** _¤It's happening again now!¤_** Tatsumi wrote. ¤ ** _There's been three attacks, and no one knows who's behind it all. Who was it the last time?_** ¤

¤ ** _I can show you, if you wish.¤_** The book wrote. ¤ ** _You don't have to take my word for it. I can let you inside my memory of that night I caught him.¤_**

Tatsumi looked up at the others and gave them a nod; this was it. ¤ ** _Show me.¤_** She wrote, and soon she felt a sensation as if she was being sucked into the book.

 **oxo**

Tatsumi found herself in the Headmaster's office, but the man behind the desk was not Dumbledore, nor was there any sign of the many trinkets Dumbledore had collected. The headmaster was an old man, a very old man, who was dried up and frail, and nearly bald except a few white hairs on his head. He was reading a letter in the light of a candle, unaware of her presence. If she remembered correctly, Armando Dippet had only recently died, she didn't remember the precise date, but she knew it was late the previous calendar-year. Dippet was known to have been the fourth oldest-living wizard to date; only three people were known to have lived longer – all of which still alive – two of which being the Flamel's **(AN 1)**. Tatsumi also remembered reading the '1st of September'-edition of the Evening Prophet, where Dippet was suspected to have caused an accident just one month prior to his 'Ancient Age Flying Test', which was reportedly on his 355th birthday **(AN 2)**.

Being here was almost like a pensive; nothing Tatsumi said or did could interact with the events around her. She watched as the old man folded the letter with a sad sigh, and got up to look out the window. He looked at the sunset for a minute before walking back to his desk. A calendar on the wall showed that today was the 13th of June 1943.

 ** _*Knock, Knock, Knock!*_**

"Enter!" The Headmaster called out weakly.

In stepped a young boy, about 16 years of age. The boy removed his hat, and Tatsumi could see the Prefects-badge on his robe; this had to be Tom. "You wished to see me, Headmaster?" The boy asked with slight nervousness.

"Yes." The old Headmaster said. "Please have a seat. I've just read the letter you sent me."

"I see." Tom said sitting with clenched fists.

"My dear boy." Dippet said kindly. "I cannot let you stay at school for the entire summer. Surely you would like to return home for the holiday?"

"No!" Tom said instantly. "I would much rather be at Hogwarts than to go back to that…that…"

"I understand you live in a muggle orphanage?" Dippet asked curiously.

Tom blushed slightly of embarrassment. "Yes, Sir." He said.

"You're a Muggleborn?" Dippet asked.

"Half-blood." Tom told him. "My father was a muggle, but my mother was a witch."

"And they are both…?"

"My mother died just after I was born." Tom explained. "The people at the orphanage has told me that she lived just long enough to name me. Tom, after my father, and Marvolo, after my grandfather."

Dippet nodded sympathetically. "Thing is, Tom." He started. "We might have been able to find an arrangement for you, but under the circumstances…"

"You mean the attacks, Sir?" Tom asked.

"Indeed." Dippet said. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy… the death of that poor little girl. You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is, even now, talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the …erh… source of all this unpleasantness…"

Tom's eyes widened. "Sir… if the person were caught… if it all stopped …" He said.

Dippet looked at him. "What do you mean?" He asked "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir." Tom said too quickly. It was the kind of response that indicated that he did if fact know something, but lied either to protect oneself, or someone they cared about.

Dippet sank back into his chair, looking somewhat disappointed. "You may go, Tom…" He said.

The boy got up and left quickly. Tatsumi followed him down the spiral-staircase, and they came to a stop in a dark hallway. Tom was thinking intensively, contemplating his next move. Tatsumi waited curiously; she knew the boy in front of her was the Future Lord Voldemort – she doubted he would use just anyone's diary as a Horcrux – but she also knew that 'Tom Riddle' had received an award for 'Special Services to the School'.

Suddenly, Tom had come to a decision, and walked quickly. Not a soul was seen until they reached the marble-stairs **(AN 3)**. There they encountered a younger Albus Dumbledore, current Transfiguration-professor and Deputy-Headmaster.

"Now, Tom, may I ask what you're doing out so late?" The man asked.

"The Headmaster wished to see me." Tom answered.

"I see." Dumbledore said. "Well, you should hurry up and go to bed now." He gave Tom a piercing look. "It's best not to dwell in the hallways nowadays, not since…"

Dumbledore sighed heavily, and wish the boy 'goodnight' as he left. Tom waited until the man was out of sight, then turned and hurried down towards the dungeon. Tatsumi followed, half expecting to the boy to use a secret tunnel or something, but Tom instead headed towards the Potions-classroom. The hallway was dark, as the torches weren't lit, and Tom hid just inside the classroom, closing the door almost all the way, and leaving just enough room to peek out through the crack. Tom stood still as a statue for what felt like an hour, then a figure quietly snuck passed their hiding-spot, and Tom snuck out to follow whoever it was.

Tatsumi followed. She wasn't sure what was going on, and was starting to question what she thought she knew about Tom. Was she wrong to assume Voldemort used his own diary as a Horcrux? If so, how was Tom connected to all this? They walked for maybe five minutes, and when they stopped, Tatsumi heard a door creaking open, followed by a familiar voice whispering.

"Come on…" The voice said. "We need to get you out of here… come on now… in the box…"

Tom leaped around the corner, and a large boy came into view. The boy was standing in front of a cupboard with a large box next to him.

"Good evening, Rubeus." Tom said sharply. The boy jumped, slamming the door shut and leaning against it.

"Tom." The boy said. It was Hagrid. "What are you doing here?"

Tom stepped closer. "It's over." He said. "I'm going to have to report you, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."

"What're you-"

"I don't think you meant to hurt anyone." Tom continued. "But monsters make bad pets. You probably just let it out for some exercise, and-"

"'E hasn't killed anybody!" Hagrid insisted.

Tatsumi could hear rustling and clicking from inside the cupboard.

"Give it up, Rubeus." Tom ordered, and walked closer. "The parents of the dead girl are coming to Hogwarts tomorrow. The least we can do is to make sure the thing that killed her, is destroyed…"

"It wasn't him!" Hagrid yelled, his voice carrying through the dark hallway. "'E hasn't done anythin'! No way!"

"Step aside." Tom ordered, and pulled out his wand.

He cast a spell, and the door behind Hagrid flew open with enough force to throw Hagrid into a wall. Out of the door then came something that made Tatsumi hiss as the hairs on the back of her neck stiffened. It was a giant, black, hairy arachnid that Tatsumi recognized as an Acromantula. Tom raised his wand again, but the spider tackled him and escaped down the hallway. Tom got back on his feet, looking for the creature, but before he could cast another spell, Hagrid threw himself at the Prefect, and a scuffle ensued.

 **oxo**

"Tatsu!"

Tatsumi woke from the vision to find herself back in the RoR. Once her head stopped spinning she stood up and shrunk the barrier to encase the book again.

"What did you see?" Draco asked.

"The Chamber was opened 50 years ago." Tatsumi said. "A girl apparently got killed."

"Did you see who opened it?" Percy asked.

"No, but the person who got the blame for it, was framed out of convenience." Tatsumi explained. "I'm convinced that Tom is Old Moldy, but I didn't see anything that could prove it. However, I did learn something interesting; apparently Tom is a half-blood, and he lived at a muggle orphanage during the holidays."

"The Dark Lord is a _half-blood_?!" Adrian exclaimed.

"What a hypocrite!" Millicent said.

Tatsumi nodded. "He didn't seem to like the orphanage thought." She continued. "The year the Chamber was opened he asked the Headmaster to stay at school over the summer, but due to the attacks the school was in danger of closing down. So, he found a scape-goat… Of course, if the wizard-world actually had any common-sense, they would've _realized_ they had the wrong guy." She could help but make a jab at the lack of logic that wizards in general suffered from.

"Why's that?" Theo asked.

"Hagrid." Tatsumi said. "He was a third-year when the Chamber was opened."

"Hagrid was _expelled_ in his third year." Hermione said. "Are you saying _he_ got the blame?"

"He hid an Acromantula in the school." Tatsumi explained. "Even if Tom hadn't framed him, he would've been expelled anyway when the spider was discovered."

"Acromantula-venom can't petrify people." Penelope told them. "So, as dangerous as they are, it wasn't an Acromantula that was behind the attacks."

"I get the feeling everything was swept under the rug." Percy said.

"That's what Tom said." Tatsumi said. "I still want to talk to Hagrid though; he's still here for a reason." She dismissed the barrier around the book and handed it to Fay. "Get this back to the dorm, will you? The Vanishing-box is under my bed."

"Leave it to me." Fay saluted.

"I'll go with you to Hagrid's." Hermione offered.

The two then made their way out of the castle and towards Hagrid's Hut.

"You know, if I wasn't already convinced that Tom was Moldywart, I wouldn't really have a hard time imagining that is _was_ Hagrid who opened the Chamber." Tatsumi said.

"How so?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Fluffy and Norberta." Tatsumi answered. "Hagrid loves dangerous creatures, so if he thought there was a monster in the castle, he'd pity it, and let it out for some well needed exercise after a thousand years of being trapped. Hell, he'd even try to put a leash on the thing."

"You do have a point." Hermione said giggling.

"Yeah, except Hagrid would never be able to _open_ the Chamber, even if he did find it." Tatsumi said.

"Parseltongue?" Hermione guessed.

Tatsumi nodded. "That's Godric's guess." She said. "It would make sense that no one has found it, if the only way to open it is with Parseltongue."

 **o000o**

The girls returned to the castle just before curfew. Hagrid had been very reluctant to talk, but once they mentioned the diary he relented. He was happy that they had already figured out he hadn't opened the Chamber, but he still had to admit to bringing a dangerous creature into the castle, and got a stern talking to from Hermione. Hagrid wouldn't say where he got the Acromantula, Aragog, as his name was, as they were native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, but he did tell them that it was thanks to Dumbledore that he was able to remain at the castle. Being an orphan by that time, Hagrid had nowhere to go, and was grateful for the opportunity to be trained as a gamekeeper for the school. He was indebted to Dumbledore, which could prove difficult in the future.

Tatsumi entered the common-room with five minutes to spare, but the atmosphere was grim. "What happened?" She asked.

"Fay's in the Hospital Wing." Neville said. "Someone pushed her on the stairs. Luckily we had just started climbing, so we weren't that many steps up, but she broke her leg in the fall. Madam Pomfrey will mend the bone overnight."

"And the diary?" Tatsumi asked, but no one seemed willing to answer. "It wasn't an accident, was it?" She asked realizing what had really happened.

The diary was gone.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** At this point in time, the only one who knows the Flamel's are dead is Dumbledore.

 **2)** See the HP wiki

 **3)** The staircase that connects the Entrance Hall to the First-floor Corridor


	18. Chapter 16 - Aragog

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Sixteen – Aragog_**

Nearly two months passed since the diary was stolen. In the end, the Courts decided that they wanted to end this once and for all, but in order to do so they needed to find the Chamber of Secrets. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done, and by the Easter-holidays, there had still not been any new attacks. Not to mention they were focused on the upcoming exams, and the deadline for choosing their electives for the next school-year was nearing rapidly.

Hermione had wanted to take every subject available, but was talked out of it by Juvia. Hermione had met with McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress, already, and the possibility of a time-turner had been mentioned, due to her eagerness, but Juvia, having learned from Meredy, explained to her exactly why using a time-turner for such a prolonged period of time was dangerous. McGonagall had obviously underestimated those dangers when she suggested it, which seemed out of character for the stern woman. It made them believe that Dumbledore _wanted_ Hermione to have a time-turner, but why? What did he have planned?

In the end, Hermione settled for Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures. Juvia and Draco also chose Runes and Arithmancy, but chose Muggle-studies, over Care, though only because they knew the subject would be taught by a Muggleborn as of next year **(AN 1)**. Tatsumi also chose Runes and Care, but chose Divination over Arithmancy as she wasn't very fond of math. Or so she said; the twins were convinced she was just taking the class so she could freak out Professor Trelawney, who had, on several occasions, run off screaming at the sight of her.

"I wonder if Trelawney can tell that you're not human." Juvia said.

"Yeah, but is she screaming because I'm a demon, or because I'm a Shinketsu?" Tatsumi wondered.

"Considering how she screams about how 'the Grim Reaper has come to take her', I'd say it's the latter." Draco reasoned.

"I was too busy covering my ears." Tatsumi explained.

"How are you going to learn anything, if she can't even be in the same room as you?" Hermione asked.

Tatsumi shrugged. "Dunno." She said. "But I've heard a lot of people complain about her, so I doubt she'll be missed much."

Hermione elbowed her. "You're terrible." She said disapprovingly, though you could clearly see that she was hiding a smile.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Knowing there could be more attacks, and not knowing where Ginny had hidden the diary, the Courts had taken measures to make sure no one walked around the school alone. The study-group had taken to following their lead, despite not having been informed that they were still in danger, and there were still no signs that the attacks were going to continue. In fact, the atmosphere was rather relaxed, and it would seem that Ginny had wizened up about the diary, and kept away from wherever she had hidden it. The twins had kept their eyes on her, and so far she wasn't going anywhere that couldn't be explained by her schedule.

Meanwhile, the school was gearing up for the next Quidditch-match, which was Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. Luckily, practice had gotten considerably more comfortable, despite the increase in frequency, as the weather got warmer and drier. On the day of the match, it was perfect Quidditch-weather, and Oliver was insisting on making sure the team was fed. Tatsumi was the only member of the team who didn't seem to have any trouble with their apatite before a match, so she was the only one not being force-fed by the mother-hen they had for a captain. She was also the first to leave the table, and was on her way to get her Quidditch-gear when the first sign of an attack made itself know.

§Kill…Kill this time…§ The voice said. §Let me rip…tear…§

At the same time, the students were beginning to head towards the Quidditch-field, and Tatsumi wrote a quick warning in her protean-book before hurrying to get her gear and meet her team in the locker-rooms. She didn't want to distract them by telling them the monster was loose again, however, and with all the students in the stands watching the match, the chances of another attack was relatively slim; so she chose not to say anything until the match was over.

However, before the match even got started, McGonagall came rushing out onto the field with a large megaphone. "The match is cancelled!" She told everyone, and the crowds weren't very happy to hear that.

Oliver was particularly shocked. "But professor!" He yelled. "We have to play… the cup…Gryffindor…!"

McGonagall turned to him, still holding the megaphone. "All students are to go gather in the common-rooms, where their Head of House will give further information! As soon as possible!"

She then lowered the megaphone and waved Tatsumi over. "Miss Kurosaki, it's best you come with me." She said and started leading her towards the castle.

Amongst the disgruntled students, Draco and Juvia came out of the crowd and joined then, though McGonagall didn't seem to mind. "Yes, it's probably just as well at both two of you come as well." She said somberly.

Around them some students complained loudly about the cancellation of the match, others looked worried, particularly members of the study-group. Tatsumi shared a worried look with her friends as they neared the Hospital Wing. They had already figured that there _had_ been another attack, and they were worried about _who_ they were going to see.

"I'm afraid this will come as a shock to you." McGonagall said gently as she opened the doors to the Hospital Wing. "There has been another attack… a _double_ attack."

Inside they saw Madam Pomfrey bent over Luna's petrified body **(AN 2)** , and further in, was Hermione. They ran over to her; her arm was outstretched, holding a mirror.

"They were found by the library." McGonagall said. "I don't suppose you can explain the mirror?"

The three looked at each other, but none of them had an answer.

McGonagall sighed. "I will escort you to your dorms." She said. "I must address the students either way."

 **o000o**

"Students are to remain in their common-rooms after 6 PM." McGonagall read from a roll of parchment. "No student shall leave their dorm after this time. During classes you will be escorted by a professor. All Quidditch-practice and matches are cancelled until further notice. All evening-activities are also cancelled."

There was a massive groan coming from the students of Gryffindor-house as McGonagall rolled up the parchment.

"I hope I don't have to tell you that I have rarely been this upset." McGonagall said. "It is possible that the school will be closed, if the culprit behind these attacks is not caught. I encourage all of you, who think you may know something, to come forward."

The moment McGonagall laboriously walked out of the dorm, the common-room burst into commotion as students discussed their situation, while blame was thrown around like a ragdoll. Tatsumi was surrounded by her Court in seconds.

"What do we do now?" Alicia asked. "We haven't found the Chamber or identified the monster yet."

"Anything new about Ginny?" Tatsumi asked the twins, but they shook their heads.

"We check the map at every opportunity-"

"-but due to practice and everything else-"

"-we haven't been able to check as often as we would like." They said.

"She seems to be acting normally." Parvati added. "If a bit pale and scared."

"I think she knows she's being possessed." Fay said. "But she's too scared to tell anyone."

"It makes sense." Neville said. "She might have tried to hide the diary to prevent anyone else from becoming possessed."

"But who has it now?" Lee asked. "Did someone else find it, or did Ginny go back to it?"

"There _has_ to be someone who was around 50 years ago that we can talk to." Angelina said. "Are you sure Hagrid never found the Chamber?"

"He was busy with the Acromantula." Tatsumi reasoned, then seemed to get an idea. "The Acromantula." She repeated. "If it roamed the castle, maybe it witnessed something."

"There are claims that Acromantula can speak." Oliver said. "But it's never been proven."

"If anyone would know, it's Hagrid." Tatsumi said. "I'll sneak out sometime tomorrow and ask him."

 **o000o**

 ** _*Knock, knock, knock!*_**

Tatsumi woke up hearing the knocks on the window. She walked over to find Draco flying on his broom outside. "What is it?" She asked opening the window.

"My father is here with the Minister." Draco said. That was bad news.

"Move." Tatsumi said and Draco obeyed.

Tatsumi grabbed her Invisibility-cloak before jumping out of the window. She stood on the air next to Draco, who then led the way town to Hagrid's Hut, where they hid under the cloak somewhere they could hear everything. Moments later, they could see Dumbledore leading Lucius Malfoy and Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge to the hut, and knocked on the door. Hagrid opened the door with an armed crossbow that he quickly hid behind his back when he saw who it was.

"Good evening, Hagrid." Dumbledore said. "I'm sorry to bother you, but they refused to wait till morning."

Hagrid paled at seeing the Minister, who was apparently a man of few words. "Bad business, Hagrid." The man said. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggleborns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

"I never... You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir…" He said desperately.

Dumbledore nodded reassuringly and turned to the Minister. "I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence." He said.

"Look, Albus, Hagrid's record's against him." The Minister said. "I've got to take him."

"Take me?" Hagrid asked frightened. "Where? Not Azkaban prison."

"For a short stretch only." The Minister said assuringly. "Not a punishment, Hagrid. More a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be released with a full apology."

"Cornelius." Lucius said. "I believe you're forgetting something."

Fudge sighed.

"What is it Cornelius?" Dumbledore asked.

It was Lucius who answered. "Dreadful thing, Dumbledore, but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside." He said trying to hide his smirk as he handed over an official roll of parchment. "This is an Order of Suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. What with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggleborns left at Hogwarts. And we all know what an awful loss that would be."

"What!?" Hagrid yelled. "Yeh can take Dumbledore! Take him away an' the Muggleborns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin's next!"

"That remains to be seen. "Lucius said. "But as all twelve governors have voted-"

"An' how many did yeh have ter threaten before they agreed!" Hagrid interrupted.

"I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that." Lucius told him.

Hagrid looked as if he was about to attack Lucius, but Dumbledore stopped him. "Calm yourself, Hagrid!" He said with steely eyes, then turned back to Lucius and the Minister. "If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside. However… you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who... ask for it." Dumbledore's eyes drifted, unmistakably, to the two eavesdropping second-years.

"Admirable sentiments." Lucius said as if he wanted to roll his eyes. "We shall all miss your highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope your successor will manage to prevent any more, um, killin's."

With that, Lucius strides to the door and bows Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waits for Hagrid. Instead, Hagrid stood there for a moment and took a deep breath. "If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they'd have ter do is follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right! Tha's all I'm sayin'." He said.

Fudge stared at Hagrid in amazement, then follows him out. As the door slams shut, Fang starts to howl, and scratches at the closed door. Looking at each other, Draco and Tatsumi entered the cabin where they removed the cloak.

"He saw us." Draco said. "I don't know how, but us saw us."

"I think it's more of a case of he saw the _cloak_." Tatsumi corrected.

"You're right." Draco admitted. "And Hagrid took the hint, and realized someone else was here."

"Given how many times James used the cloak during his school-years, they probably learned to recognize it." Tatsumi speculated. "That, or I need to have Kisuke recheck it for spells."

Draco nodded. "What do you think Hagrid meant by 'follow the spiders'?" He asked.

"I'm not sure." Tatsumi said looking around, then she saw it. "Look! At the windowsill."

There was a trail of spiders escaping through a crack in the glass.

"I've seen that at the castle." Draco said. "It's like they're afraid."

"Afraid of the Monster." Tatsumi concluded. "If so, the Acromantula Hagrid hid in the castle may know something."

"What happened to it?" Draco asked.

"Hagrid told me Aragog now lives in the Forest." Tatsumi said. "Unfortunately… he also said he found Aragog a wife…"

"… Fifty years of breeding equals a lot of spiders." Draco said almost absently.

"Meh." Tatsumi shrugged. "Nothing we can't handle." She said grinning cockily.

They leave Fang in the hut, and follow the trail of spiders into the Forbidden Forest. After a while, Tatsumi stops.

"What is it?" Draco asked.

"There's a strange rumbling sound up ahead." Tatsumi said. "It sounds like… a car…?"

Looking ahead, they then spotted something big, and suddenly a blaze of light splinters the trees, blinding them for a moment.

"I don't believe it." Tatsumi said as the light died down a bit.

In front of them stood a blue Ford Anglia, scratched and mud-smeared, with bits of earth and grass sprouting from its headlamps and hubcaps. It was moving, behaving like a lost dog, seemingly wanting affection as they walked closer.

"The fuck is a car doing here?" Draco asked in disbelief.

"Remember at the beginning of the year, when I told you how the Weasel got to Hogwarts?" Tatsumi asked as she petted the car.

"You're kidding." Draco said shocked. "This thing is actually sentient?"

"Mr. Weasley must be very good at charms." Tatsumi said smiling as she petted the car. "We should get going though."

Draco nodded and they continued following the spiders. They entered a hollow ribboned with shadows, where enormous trees towered over them, strewn with strands of white webbing.

"We must be getting close." Draco said.

The spiders led to a dark opening at the end of the hollow. A clicking sound emanated from the opening. Hearing a twig snap, Tatsumi pulled Draco back from the opening just as a large shadow emerged; then a giant spider stepped into the moonlight. The spider was about the size of a small elephant, but it's eyes were white; it was blind.

The spider stopped as if listening. "You do not come from the forest." It spoke. "Your hearts beat like... men."

"We are friends of Hagrid." Tatsumi said. "Are you Aragog?"

Aragog's head turns slightly towards her voice. "Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before." He said.

"Hagrid has been taken to Azakaban." Tatsumi explained. "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Students are being attacked, and Hagrid is being blamed. Again."

While Tatsumi was doing the talking, Draco kept his eyes open for more Acromantulas. He noticed a spider's leg curling slowly around the trunk of the tree to his left.

"Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets!" Aragog spoke.

"We know." Tatsumi assured it. "We wanted to know if you saw anything. Anything that can tell us the identity of the monster that killed that girl 50 years ago."

"We do not speak of it!" Aragog said heatedly. "It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."

"But did you see it?" Tatsumi persisted. She could hear Aragog's offspring gathering around them, some on the branches above them.

"I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which Hagrid kept me." Aragog told them. "The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here."

The spiders were beginning to drop down like paratroopers.

"Well this was a giant waste of time." Draco growled. "Let's go, we've wasted enough time."

"Go? I think not." Aragog said. Draco and Tatsumi shared a look; they knew they weren't getting out of there without a fight. "My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid."

Excited clicking-sounds echoes through the hollow, and a gang of giant spiders blocked the path ahead. Draco and Tatsumi stood back to back as they were surrounded, and the spiders were closing in.

Draco sighs as if someone had dumped a bunch of homework on his desk just as he thought he was finished. "Let's get this over with." He said.

Tatsumi nodded and the two sprang into action in opposite directions. Tatsumi swiped her arms, creating a wide tornado of red, blue and white fire; like a smaller version of her 'Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade'.

On the opposite side of the hollow, spiders were being sliced, diced, frozen and smashed like giant popsicles.

"STOP!" Aragog yelled. "Those are my children!"

"It's not _us_ you should ask to stop!" Tatsumi snarled. "As long as you children comes after us, we _will_ defend ourselves!"

The battle had halted.

"Very well." Aragog said, shaking from the experience.

Draco and Tatsumi turned and walked away, the spiders keeping their distance, instead gathering horrified around the incinerated and frozen bodies of their brothers and sisters, and vowing never to anger 'Hagrid's Friends' ever again.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** Charity Burbage took over as Muggle Studies Professor in 1993, but, though the wiki assumes she's either a Pureblood or a Half-blood, her blood-status is unknown.

 **2)** In the book, it was Penelope who was petrified along with Hermione, but I'm using Luna because I wanted an excuse to add her to the Courts.


	19. Chapter 17 - Basilisk

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Seventeen – Basilisk_**

"How are you feeling, Miss Lovegood?" Madam Pomfrey asked. She was examining Luna's arm, checking for any stiffness, while Tatsumi was working on Hermione.

"I'm fine." Luna said. "I don't feel any stiffness."

"How's your memory?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "Do you remember seeing the monster?"

Luna shook her head. "I'm sorry." She said. "I don't even remember why we were by the library. If anything, we should've been heading towards the Quidditch-field like everyone else. I had made new hats I wanted to wear to the match to show my support to the teams."

Madam Pomfrey sighed and nodded. She hadn't expected anything else, as none of the other victims had remembered anything either. Madam Pomfrey then went to get a few potions, and Tatsumi looked at Luna, as she had noticed the girl fiddling with something in her hands.

"Lulu, what's in your hand?" She asked.

"Huh?" Luna hadn't realized she was holding something. She unrolled the piece of parchment she had been clutching. "That's it!" She exclaimed. "This is why I went to the library! I was on my way out to find you when I encountered Hermione in the hallway."

She got out of the bed and showed Tatsumi the note. It contained a copy of a paragraph from a book. ** _¤Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it and only the crowing of the rooster can kill it.¤_**

The word ¤ ** _Pipes¤_** was written in Luna's hand-writing bellow.

"You've got to be kidding me." Tatsumi said.

 **o000o**

Gathered in the RoR, the Courts discussed Luna's findings. It had taken a while for everyone to sneak away to get there, but Hogwarts had helped them, opening secret passages while Peeves distracted the Professors. Luna was also present, having been the one to identify the monster.

"A rooster-call will kill a basilisk." Oliver repeated. "That's why Hagrid's were killed."

"But, if the basilisk's eyes kills, why hasn't anyone died?" Hannah asked. "I mean, it explains why the girl died 50 years ago, but no one else has."

"Maybe because no one saw it directly." Luna said. "I was wondering the same thing, but then I remembered Mrs. Norris. She must have seen its reflection in the water on the floor."

"And Colin must have seen it through his camera." Tatsumi realized.

"Nick was already dead, and Justin must have seen it through Nick." Penelope concluded.

"But how's the Basilisk been getting around?" Theo asked. "The thing must be enormous."

"Luna solved that mystery as well." Hermione said. "It's been using the pipes."

"Aragog told us that the girl who died 50 years ago, died in a bathroom." Tatsumi informed them.

"Moaning Myrtle!" Juvia realized.

"Maybe she knows where the snake comes from." Cedric said. "We should ask her."

"Can't." Tatsumi said. "I talked her into passing over shortly after Justin and Nick were attacked."

"You mean she's gone?!" The group chorused.

"How did we not notice that?!" Percy mentally kicked himself. "She threw tantrums every few weeks or so, you'd think we'd notice the lack of flooding!"

"It makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Susan said. "How the snake got in and out of the pipes, I mean."

"There must be an entrance in that bathroom." Padma said. "But it can't be the only one. The plumbing may allow the snake to reach all over the castle, but that doesn't help much if there was only _one_ way out."

"What if there are entrances in all the bathrooms?" Terry suggested. "It would explain how the snake avoided being spotted, and how it's able to move around without risk of being seen."

"But how?" Lisa asked. "Plumbing is a _modern_ construct. So the pipes must have been built into already existing tunnels; why wasn't the Chamber discovered when the castle was being fitted with the plumbing?"

"I'm guessing Salazar must have left a journal or something for his descendants." Draco said. "It's a common practice, and I bet the castle being equipped with indoors plumbing must have been big news. It's not unthinkable that a descendant of his learned of the project and offered his assistance, and was able to keep the Chamber hidden."

"So the pipes must be directly connected to the Chamber." Susan said.

Tatsumi looked to the roof. "Hogwarts, where does the pipes congregate?" She asked.

 _/On the second-floor girl's bathroom./_ Hogwarts answered.

Tatsumi nodded. "It's in Myrtle's bathroom." She said.

"So we know where it is." Oliver said. "What do we do about it?"

"Well, we can't fight something we can't look at." Ernest said.

"I can ask Kisuke if he can come up with something." Tatsumi said. "But it could take a while for it to be finished."

"We can't _all_ go into the Chamber either." Daphne said. "We'll just stand in each other's way."

"Not to mention the Professors will without doubt notice so many students going missing." Theo said.

"Basilisk-hide is magic-proof." Oliver said reluctantly. "So most of us won't be useful anyway."

"Snakes can't regulate their body-heat." Lisa said. "Does that count for magical snakes?"

"It does." Draco said. "So my ice-magic is a must."

"Juvia's water-slicers might be strong enough to cut through the hide." Juvia said. "But Juvia is not sure."

"Tatsu might be able to control the Basilisk with her Parseltong." Hannah suggested.

But Tatsumi shook her head. "With the basilisk being a _bonded_ familiar, I doubt I can." She said. "Especially since Tom has been in contact with it through Ginger."

"Tom might try and stop us to." Percy added. "If so we might have to find a way to destroy the Horcrux right then and there."

"I have a sword that can destroy it." Tatsumi said. "It's the same sword I used on Nick to sever his head completely."

"We'll need someone to trap the basilisk in one place as well." Luna said.

"I guess that'll be my job." Hermione said. "But we won't be doing anything until we can actually face the thing without blindfolding ourselves. I've already been petrified once, and I don't fancy dying next time."

"So we have no choice but to wait." Draco said.

"I have a question." Parvati suddenly said. "How many of us searched that library from top to bottom without finding anything? How come Luna found it so easy? No offence, Luna, but it is pretty suspicious."

"I understand." Luna assured her.

"It _is_ weird." Oliver said. "I take Care of Magical Creatures, and I know I've read that book before, but I don't recall reading that paragraph."

"Compulsions?" The Tweasley's asked.

"It's likely." The Patil-twins chorused, then looked at each other in horror.

"Oh Merlin, we've picked up their twin-speak." Padma groaned, making the others laugh.

"Anyway." Adrian said. "I don't think I have to remind you two-" He pointed at the Tweasley's. "-to keep an eye on your sister. It's more important now than ever that we get that _thing_ away from her."

"I would like to help as well." Luna said. "Ginny may not have been a _good_ friend, but she was the _only_ friend I had growing up."

Juvia put her hand on the blond's shoulder. "You're a good friend, Luna." She said. "Even if Ginevra didn't return the favor. Juvia is honored to be your friend."

Hermione walked up to them. "And I would be honored if you would join my Court." She said holding out her hand in welcome.

Luna looked at her shocked, then fought back tears as she took Hermione's hand. "I'd love to." She said.

The Courts applauded. They hadn't expected to get any new members, but the help was certainly welcome.

"Now there's just one thing I'd like to bring up before we leave." Penelope said. "We need something more practical to notify each other for emergency-meetings. Asking Hogwarts to use the House-elves was convenient, but it's not exactly subtle." She turned to the Allstars. "Those books of yours are really useful; is there any way to get more of them, or maybe something similar?"

"I can ask Kisuke to replicate the ones we have." Tatsumi suggested. "Maybe he can improve them too. We'll be losing three of you next years, and more after that, so we'll need something to stay in touch without danger of someone intercepting letters."

"We have NEWTs to worry about as well." Percy said. "We won't be able to focus as much on our duties to the Courts and the Study-group."

"I had an idea that I was planning to bring up soon." Oliver said. "I was thinking Fred and George could take over mine and Percy's duties, and maybe the other officers could nominate a lieutenant from their House to take over theirs as well."

"It would have to be someone who would be staying around for a while." Penelope added. "So second-years or younger preferably."

"You don't have to decide now." Hermione said. "If we're going to do this, you should have some time to think about who would be best for the role. So why don't you think it over… let's say until September 1st?"

"I'd like that." Penelope said.

Her fellow officers agreed.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

The next day, it was obvious that the attack had put a scare into the students, but it was soon obvious that not everyone thought the attacks were a bad thing. Blaise Zabini, for one, was strutting around like he was just appointed Head Boy.

"I always said Dumbledore was the worst Headmaster this school has ever had." He said not caring who heard him, and he was looking at Tatsumi as if he had just made a jab at her.

Tatsumi, however, just blinked. "What?" She said nonchalantly. "It's not like I liked him either. The Old Fuck freaks me out. And that stupid twinkle makes my skin crawl!"

Zabini looked taken aback for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Well, hopefully we'll get a _decent_ Headmaster this time." He said to save face. "One that doesn't want to close the Chamber; McGonagall won't last long. It's a wonder all the Mudbloods haven't packed up already. I would bet 5 Galleons that the next one dies; too bad it wasn't Granger-"

He was interrupted when the content of his cauldron flash-boiled, scolding him badly.

"You think he'd be smart enough not to piss off a fire-magic user." Daphne sighed and played with a lock of hair as Zabini was being rushed to the Hospital Wing. "I mean; why did he think no one would back him up? At least the rest of our housemates aren't idiots… well, _most_ of them aren't." She said the last part looking at Parkinson and her trolls.

Snape returned shortly after, just in time to escort them to their next class.

 **o000o**

Dueling class had a much more determined atmosphere. The students were determined to be able to protect themselves if anything happened again. The doom and gloom radiating off the Professors weren't exactly helping, which made Lockhart stand out even more than usual, as the man was practically giddy, and came skipping into the Great Hall.

"Oh my." He exclaimed, not able to understand why the students were scared. "Why the long faces? Don't you get that the danger is over?" He spoke slowly, as if he was speaking to retards.

"Says who?!" Dean Thomas asked loudly.

"My dear boy." Lockhart said. "The Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he wasn't 100% sure that he was guilty."

"Yes he would!" Tatsumi growled. "Fudge has fudge for brains! He only arrested Hagrid to make it look like he was doing something, when in reality he has no clue what's going on!"

Lockhart huffed. "I think I can praise myself on knowing a _little_ more about Hagrid's arrest that you do, Miss Kurosaki." He said arrogantly. "I always knew Hagrid was a slob **(AN 1)** , I'm confident that this whole affair is over."

Tatsumi was fuming; that twit had just earned himself another prank. In fact, Tatsumi grinned evilly as she decided which prank to play.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Even the Allstars had to admit that Tatsumi was scary when she was as happy as she was now. She looked like the cat that caught the canary _and_ gotten her cream. It was driving her Court crazy trying to figure out what she did. They _knew_ she's done something horribly funny, but they couldn't figure out was it was. As the Allstars walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, they quickly realized something was up as Lockhart was red as a tomato and absolutely furious, though oddly quiet for some reason.

The other students were either baffled, struggling not to laugh, or utterly embarrassed. The terror-twins were being given ugly looks, though they themselves were as clue-less as the rest. Whatever was going on it was obvious they were being blamed for it.

Tatsumi looked at her friends, smirked, and said. "Don't you just love voice-alteration-spells?" She said loud enough for everyone to hear. That caused Lockhart to stand up and start yelling at her and… sounding like Donald Duck.

After a moment of silent dumbfounded-ness, the entire hall burst out laughing while Tatsumi continued to grin evilly.

"WE BOW TO YOU GREATNESS!" The twins got up and bowed to her.

 **o000o**

In the end, Tatsumi didn't even get detention; turns out Lockhart was stepping on his colleagues' last nerves with his bullshit. However, with everything that had been going on this year, there as one thing that could chase every thought of the Chamber of Secrets out of anyone's mind; the fact that their exams would be held in _one week_. It came as a surprise when it was announced during transfiguration-class, and Neville was so shocked that his wand slipped out of his hands, vanishing one of the legs of his desk.

"The whole point of keeping the school open during this time, is to provide education." McGonagall said in response to the protests. "Therefore, we will hold the exams as usual, and I trust that you are all already busy with your revisions."

She got a lot of rebellious mumbling in response.

"Headmaster Dumbledore gave instructions that the school be ran as normally as normal." McGonagall said angrily. "And I hope I don't have to tell you that that includes finding out how much you've learned this year."

A lot of students looked as if they'd been ordered to camp out in the Forbidden Forest. Some ended up cuddling with the rabbits they had been told to transfigure into slippers, ignoring the assignment due to the new wave of anxiety that washed over them.

 **o000o**

By dinner, the news had spread to the entire student-body, and many seemed to be buried in books while they ate. Or tried to eat. Some weren't eating at all, including Ginny, who looked tense and nervous as she fiddled with her hands in her lap. She was looking up and down the table, looking scared, so Tatsumi elbowed Fred and brought his attention to the girl. He nodded and got up to take a seat next to his sister. Meanwhile, Tatsumi kept her ears on their conversation.

"I need to tell you something." Ginny mumbled.

"What is it?" Fred asked gently. "You know you can tell us anything."

"Yeah, what is it?" Ron said impatiently. He was sitting directly in front of Ginny, and looked annoyed that she would say anything.

Ginny didn't seem to find the right words. She opened her mouth, but no sound would come out.

"What is it?!" Ron snapped angrily. "Is it about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen anything?! Anyone who was acting weird?! Spit it out!"

Ginny sprung up and fled the Hall. Fred glared at Ron. "Now look what you've done!" He snarled. "She was about to tell us something important and you scared her off!"

"It's not _my_ fault!" Ron insisted. He couldn't understand that he'd done something wrong.

 **o000o**

With Ginny terrified, they didn't have much of a choice but to wait until she approached them again. Meanwhile, Tatsumi had tricked Lockhart into ditching escort-duty, and she and Fay had snuck up to the owlery to meet Hedwig, who was just returning from Japan with a package from Kisuke.

"You think these will work?" Fay asked holding up a pair of goggles on their way down.

There were enough goggles for every member of the Courts, and they were made of transparent dragon-scales so they should theoretically protect them against the basilisk's eyes. According to Kisuke, the goggles were based off a creation made by 'Windsor Magical Academy' in Canada, which were made mostly for Aurors dealing with creatures that could hypnotize, or paralyze, with eye-contact alone.

"Hopefully they will." Tatsumi said as Fay put the goggles on. "They suit you."

"Thanks." Fay smiled, but was startled when Tatsumi suddenly froze.

"What?" Fay asked worried.

"Run!" Tatsumi yelled, grabbing Fay's hand and ran.

They ran fast, but apparently it wasn't fast enough as Tatsumi could both hear and feel the basilisk gaining on them from behind. Tatsumi looked ahead to where the stair cases were, but none of the stairs were aligned with a floor, or even with each other for that matter. It didn't stop her though, as she picked Fay up bridal-style and jumped onto the railing of the nearest staircase, and then jumped onto another railing further up. She jumped on the railings all the way up to the seventh floor. When they were safely on the floor, Tatsumi put Fay down and they could hear the basilisk hiss in disappointment of losing a meal. It sent shivers down their spines.

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 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** 'Slob' doesn't sound like the right word to me, but it's what it says in my book (translated into my native language) so I'll go with it.


	20. Chapter 18 - The Chamber

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter Eighteen – The Chamber of Secrets_**

 ** _*Sound of the speakers turning on.*_**

"ALL STUDENTS ARE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOUSE DORMITORIES AT ONCE. ALL TEACHERS TO THE SECOND FLOOR CORRIDOR. IMMEDIATELY."

 ** _*Sound of the speakers turning off.*_**

In the panic and the confusion, the Allstars and the Courts put their plan into action. While Courts took control over the Houses, the Allstars snuck up to the second floor corridor, and hid somewhere they could hear the Professors talking. Though one was missing.

"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message." McGonagall said. "Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster. Into the Chamber itself. I'm afraid we shall have to send the students home. I'm afraid… this is the end of Hogwarts."

Suddenly Lockhart burst in. "So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?" He asked cheerily, causing several teachers to face-palm.

Snape, however, saw an opportunity. "Ah, Lockhart. Just the man we were looking for." He said. "A girl has been snatched by the monster. Your moment has come at last."

"My m-moment?" Lockhart stuttered in terror.

"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape asked.

"D-did I? I don't recall..." Lockhart was sweating now.

"That settles it." McGonagall said joining in. "We'll leave it to you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend."

"V-very well. I'll - I'll be in my office, getting - getting ready." He said and ran off… he ran into the girls' bathroom to hide.

McGonagall sighed. "Now that he's out of our way, the rest of us should go and inform the students of what has happened." She said.

"Who is it the monster's taken, Minerva?" Sprout asked.

"Ginny Weasley." McGonagall responded.

After the Professors had left, the Allstars left their hiding-place and took a look at the message on the wall.

 ** _¤Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.¤_**

"McGonagall said Ginevra was missing." Hermione said worried "And Lockhart going after the monster won't make the twins feel better."

"Then we'll have to take care of this now." Draco said.

"But Lockhart is in Myrtle's bathroom." Juvia said. "How will we sneak by."

"Let's wait and see if he comes out of hiding." Tatsumi said, but 15 minutes later the man still hadn't come out, giving them no choice but to go in regardless.

They found Lockhart sitting in the middle of the bathroom floor, completely hammered and singing between hick-ups and swaying a bottle of boos. Several more bottles lay empty and scattered on the floor.

"Well that's one problem out of our way." Tatsumi commented in awe at how fast the man had become drunk.

"Where'd he hide all those bottles?" Hermione asked baffled.

"Nevermind that." Draco said. "Let's look for the entrance; there has to be some sort of door here somewhere."

Hermione frowned looking around. "I hope it's marked." She said.

"Myrtle said one of the sinks doesn't work. Never has." Tatsumi said. "Maybe that's where it is."

"Sugar in the morning!" Lockhart sang. They looked at him for a moment, then turned their attention back to the task at hand.

"There's a snake engraved on this tap." Juvia called.

Tatsumi walked over. §Open!§ She demanded.

The circular group of sinks shifted, opening up to show a large, open pipe leading almost straight down.

"LET'S GO –hick– TREASURE HUNTIN'!" Lockhart suddenly cheered and rushed past them to do a cartoon-dive into the hole **(AN 1)**.

The Allstars stood there starring in dumbfounded shock down the hole for a moment.

"Did… did he just do that?" Tatsumi asked.

"…You think he made it?" Hermione asked carefully.

"…"

"I'm not jumping down on that mess." Tatsumi said. She looked around the pipe for some way down. §Stairs.§ She tried.

The open pipe shifted, creating steps leading down into the darkness. Once on the bottom, they all put on their goggles. They already knew the goggles worked, as Fay had starred straight into the basilisk's eyes the day she and Tatsumi escaped from it, and had walked away from the incident completely unharmed. The group walked further into the tunnel where they were met by a door, which was beautifully engraved with several snakes.

§Open!§ Tatsumi ordered.

As they entered, Hermione stayed behind to create barriers to cage the Basilisk in. The others continued, and soon arrived at a vast chamber with rows of stone serpents resting in pools of black water. The Chamber had been flooded at some point. Ahead, was an enormous statue of Salazar Slytherin's head; the rest of the statue's body was submerged.

"Someone was full of themselves." Tatsumi muttered.

Then, they spotted Ginny lying motionless on the ground, she was white as a sheet and one hand was clutching the diary to her chest. They ran over and tried to wake her, but a male voice spoke up.

"She won't wake."

A young man stepped out of the shadows. It was Tom, and he was semi-solid and strangely blurred around the edges.

"You're using her life-force to create a corporal body." Draco breathed. The implications were not missed on the others either.

Tom chuckled at how quickly he had figured it out. "That I am." He admitted; there was no need to deny it, after all. "Poor Ginny poured her heart and soul into me. She's been writing to me for months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes. I grew stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful enough to start feeding Ginny a few secrets, to start pouring a bit of my soul back into her… It was Ginny Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets… It was Ginny who set the Basilisk on the Mudbloods and the Squib's cat. Ginny who wrote threatening messages on the walls… All because I told her to."

 _"What is it with bad guys and their monologues?"_ Tatsumi thought irritably.

"You'll find that I can be very persuasive." Tom continued. "Not that she knew what she was doing. She was, shall we say, in a kind of trance. Still, the power of the diary began to scare her and she tried to dispose of it in the girls' bathroom. But then, who should find it... but you. The very person I was most anxious to meet."

Tatsumi tilted her head curiously. Tom shouldn't know anything about her. "And why did you want to meet me?" She asked.

"Ginny told me all about you." Tom said. "I knew I had to talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my capture of that brainless oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust."

"You think you gained my trust?" Tatsumi laughed tauntingly. "By passing an Acromantula of as the 'legendary monster'? You may have fooled Dippet in his old age, but you didn't fool me; I knew who, and what, you are before the diary even fell into my hands."

Tom's eyes narrowed. Nothing he said seemed to come as a surprise to these brats. "Did you now?" He said dangerously.

"Of course." Tatsumi said shrugging. "More importantly; I know how to _destroy_ you."

"Well then." Tom growled. "Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Girl-Who-Lived, shall we?" He turned towards the statue. §Speak to me Slytherin§

The enormous statues' mouth opened with a rumble. They could hear the basilisk slithering inside, then the snake spilled out of the mouth. Tom's eyes narrowed as he noticed that none of the three in front of him were bothered by the serpent, nor were they afraid to look at her as she hissed at them hungrily.

This was the moment Hermione had waited for, and as soon as the basilisk was completely out, runes spread across the walls and floor of the chamber, blocking off the tunnels. Draco and Juvia had turned their complete attention on the basilisk, meanwhile Tatsumi, Tom, and Ginny were trapped in a square barrier of runes separating them from the others.

Tom gritted his teeth in anger. §Kill them!§ He ordered the basilisk.

The basilisk hissed and struck towards her prey. Juvia and Draco dodged, however, and Juvia dived into the water while Draco used his 'Ice Blade: Swan's Wings' to blind the basilisk. The basilisk roared in pain; it's eyes bloody. The basilisk struck blindly, whipping its tail and shattering a statue. Juvia emerged from the water in a combination of her Sierra-form and her water-jigsaw, attacking the basilisk with the freezing cold water.

§What are you doing?!§ Tom snapped at the basilisk furiously. §You can still hear them! Smell them! So hurry up and kill them!§

The basilisk struggled to get up, slowed down by force of the impact, and the freezing cold temperature. It hissed furiously, and seemed to lock in on Draco, who calmly put his fist into his palm.

"Ice Make: Titan feet!"

A giant leg of ice slammed down on the basilisk, crushing its head under its foot.

"NO!" Tom yelled angrily. "What have you done?!"

Then a sharp pain in his chest caused him to topple over. His eyes widened in terror as he realized he had forgotten his own opponent. Looking back at her shakenly, he saw her kneeled by Ginny's body, which is surrounded by an orange dome, and in her hands she was holding a sword, which tip had been imbedded in the diary, which lay on the floor.

"Did you forget about me?" Tatsumi asked grinning sweetly.

She stood, pushing the sword deeper into the diary, causing Tom to scream in pain. She lifted her sword, the book stuck to the tip as she showed it to him. "This is why you keep losing." She explained. "You keep underestimating the wrong people."

"N-No. Stop..." Tom begged, his face creases in fear.

He gathered his strength, and lunged towards her with a roar. Tatsumi swung her sword, detaching the diary from her sword, then sliced the book in half mid-air. Black ink spurts from the book, as if it had been a living creature. Tom shrieks in denial, his body gaining a wound to match the diary, he then falls to his knees as his body withers, then vanishes all together.

Hermione walked in as the rune-barriers vanished, and Tatsumi checked up on Ginny, who looked much better. "Let's keep her asleep." She said. "She has no physical wounds, but she's been severely drained and needs to rest."

She dismissed the dome, and they lay Ginny piggy-back on Draco, as it would be easier to carry her up the stairs and out of the Chamber that way. They also levitated Lockhart's corpse after covering it with his own robe, and left the bathroom, closing the Chamber behind them. When they reached the Hospital Wing, they laid Ginny gently down on a bed as Juvia went to get Madam Pomfrey, who was suddenly wide awake when she saw the redhead.

"How on earth…" The Healer said as she checked Ginny over. "You four have a lot of explaining to do…"

"We know." Hermione said. "But we would like it if you didn't mention us at all to the Professors."

Madam Pomfrey blinked. "And why not?" She asked, half-curious, half-suspicious.

"Lockhart." Tatsumi said pointing to a bed which the healer hadn't seen.

"Oh, dear Merlin…" Madam Pomfrey gasped as she saw the corpse. "How?"

"He got drunk and decided to jump the 100 feet down into the Chamber." Draco said deadpanned.

"Look." Tatsumi said. "Lockhart may not have been our favorite person, and we highly doubt he actually did all those things he claimed to have done, but he had a lot of people looking up to him, thinking he was a hero. A lot of kids are going to be disappointed if the truth came out, and that's the last thing we want. We want them to be adventurous, to be confident and brave if they find themselves in trouble. Lockhart may be a fake, but he inspired a lot of kids who are going to be discouraged if they heard the idiot got drunk and jumped to his death."

"We would like to give him the credit for saving Ginny, and killing the monster." Juvia added. "To give him the kind of ending his fans would be proud of."

Madam Pomfrey starred at them in shock. "That… is a very honorable decision." She said in admiration. "You four should hurry back to your dorms. I shall tell the Headmaster that Lockhart brought Ginny here before succumbing to his injuries."

The Allstars nodded and they left quickly, taking shortcuts and secret passages to their respective dorms, where their Courts were awaiting news.

 **o000o**

The Weasley-brothers were the first to receive the official news that their sister was safe, and were led to the Hospital Wing where their parents were hugging their now-conscious daughter tightly. Eventually, the twins were able to meet up with the others, as the rest of the students were gathered in the Great Hall and given the good news. The Hall was instantly filled with relief and excitement. It was all over; the monster was slain; they were safe. Colin was snapping pictures like crazy; he and Luna had become good friends, and had started a project together, though they hadn't told anyone exactly what that project was. Everyone was happy, except for a selective few, and some were crying and hugging their friends, thanking Merlin that it was over.

 _* **Sound of someone** **tapping a goblet.***_

The students looked up at the Staff-table as Dumbledore stood. "Before we begin our feast." He starts. "Let's give a round of applause to Gilderoy Lockhart, who gave his life to kill the Legendary Monster, and rescue Ginny Weasley."

Everyone applauds.

"I would also like to announce," Dumbledore continued. "that Miss Tatsumi Kurosaki will be receiving a special reward for successfully restoring all those who were petrified."

The applause got even louder.

"Also." Dumbledore continues. "In the wake of recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled."

Everyone cheers in relief, not many had been able to study due to the stress and fear this year. Then, the great doors suddenly open and everyone looks to see who was entering.

"HAGRID!" Tatsumi yelled happily and hurries over to the half-giant with the majority of the school behind her.

"Welcome back, Hagrid." Hermione said.

"We've missed you." Juvia added.

Hagrid, overwhelmed at the support, sniffs and wipes his eyes. "I've missed ye too." He half-sobs.

The hall roars in cheers.

 **o000o**

The Courts met later than night, in the RoR, after curfew. Percy was missing, as he was still with his parents and Ginny in the Hospital Wing, but the twins told everyone what Ginny had told them. They had also observed that Dumbledore was less than pleased to hear that she didn't know who had saved her, as she had been unconscious. Madam Pomfrey took care of the talking afterwards. Dumbledore was naturally skeptical of the story that the Healer had told them, and kept asking if she was absolutely certain that this was what had happened. That resulted in Pomfrey snapping at him angrily.

Ginny had also received a scolding from her father; he had taught her better than to trust objects that could think for itself, especially considering his line of work.

"Dad has no idea that Dumbledore has altered the wards." Fred said.

"That diary would've never made its way into the castle if he hadn't." George said.

"It's not just the diary." Hermione said. "The diadem couldn't have been hidden here either, so he'd have to have tampered with them soon after becoming the headmaster."

"But why?" Angelina asked. "That's a lot of years where the students were in danger of Dark artifacts. What was the point?"

"The diadem!" Theo exclaimed after a moment of thought. "Well, not the diadem itself, but the Horcrux. What if Dumbledore was counting on the Dark Lord to hide one in the castle? I mean, he obviously didn't like his home-life growing up, so he must have felt as if the castle was his home more than the orphanage. He must have felt safe hiding one here."

Penelope caught on. "Dumbledore knew he'd come back here after graduating." She said. "That's why he tampered with the wards."

"But he doesn't know about the RoR." Terry reminded everyone.

"No, but he knows there's a secret room up here." Tatsumi said. "He's encountered it before; the room provided him with a bathroom, but he doesn't know how the room works, or how to find it."

"Then we should have a backup HQ." Susan said. "In case he does find it."

"We can use Godric's Dueling-chamber." Tatsumi said.

The Courts had been using that Chamber for private training, including lessons in Occlumency from Severus. They also knew, from Godric's texts, that the other three Founders added their own 'Chambers' after Salazar left. Godric added a training-room, Rowena added a library, and Helga was said to have added an indoors Greenhouse, but they were just as elusive as the Chamber of Secrets **(AN 2)**. They were also hidden from Hogwarts herself, like the Chamber of Secrets was, and the only reason they knew where the training-room was, was because Tatsumi had texts revealing its location. The Allstars were already in the process of trying to find a way to change the wards, but as long as Dumbledore was in the castle they couldn't afford him being let in on that information. Hogwarts could only hide so much from him.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

In the days that followed, Lucius Malfoy was sacked as a school governor, for having threatened the families of his fellow governors if they did not agree to suspend Dumbledore earlier in the year. At the same time, Draco decided to trick his father into freeing Dobby, who then willingly bonded with Draco alone, so he could aid them in their 'Divine' task.

Tatsumi had also released Ginny from her 'Life Debt', against advice from the Courts, but she didn't believe in those kinds of debts, something Severus had learned the hard way. James and Lily hadn't been able to talk her out of releasing him, nor could anyone talk her out of releasing Ginny. Besides, if they were going to go with the 'Lockhart-being-a-hero'-story, then it would be strange that Ginny would be bound by a 'Life Debt', as Lockhart didn't have any children to inherit the debt.

Tatsumi was also able to coax the Weasley's car out of the Forest, so that it could be returned to the family. The remainder of the year passed uneventfully after that, and before they knew it, the students were on the train back to London.

"Are we going to get into these adventures every year?" Hermione wondered.

"Yup." Tatsumi said. "Next year will be terrible though."

"What happens next year?" Juvia asked.

"Fudge-for-brains and Dementors happen." Tatsumi said sourly.

The others looked at each other worriedly, Juvia especially; she had plenty of bad memories, and the Healers didn't think her father would survive the summer. Next year would indeed be very, very terrible.

 _(End of Year 2)_

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 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** In _Raising Cain_ (which I've mentioned earlier, and which this scene is inspired by) Lockhart was tripped into the pipe, but I thought it be funnier if he was drunk and jumped on his own.

 **2)** The idea that the other three Founders also made their own secret rooms was inspired by a similar idea I read in _'Of Lies and Deceit and Hidden Personas'_ by _'Jessiikaa15'_. This story is one of my favorites and it's the only Dark!Trio story I have been able to find. It has Voldemort/Harry as the main-pairing and is quite graphic, in more ways than one, so it's not for kids or the faint of heart, but if you're a fan of that kind of stuff, I do recommend checking it out.


	21. Chapter 18,2 - Interlude 2

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Interlude 2 – The Day They Died_**

Silence.

Uncomfortable silence.

In contrast to the festivities earlier, being Tatsumi's birthday and all, the Allstars were sitting in Tatsumi's room, late at night, as no one were able to sleep. In less than a week, their previous selves would be dead, killed in battle. Crocus would soon be attacked by a Rebel-group determined to destroy the royal family. The King had already been assassinated, and Hisui would soon be crowned Queen of Fiore, but not if the Rebels got their way. The Allstars knew they couldn't interfere with their own deaths, but what about everyone else? They had no information about what had happened after the battle, except that Hisui survived, and they had no idea how many had died.

"There has to be something we can do!" Hermione insisted. "Can't we at least make sure no one else dies?!"

"The fabric of time has a set pattern." Juvia said in a monotone voice. "Once woven, it cannot be changed. Even if one were to travel back in time, nothing can change it, as any action taken by the traveler will already be woven by the time the decision to travel is made."

She sounded as if she was reciting a book, though, more likely, she was reciting something Meredy had once told her.

"In other words." Juvia continued. "Anything we decide to do, has already happened."

Hermione started biting the nail on her thumb. The silence continued. They were all frustrated, and tense; feeling helpless. Tatsumi desperately started thinking back to the battle for any clues; anything she couldn't explain. She remembered that she spent most of the battle fighting alongside Gray, though they were joined by others from time to time, as they were all taking turns guarding Princess Hisui. She remembered being joined by Lucy, Laxus, Elfman, Erza, Juvia, Gildarts…

"Gildarts!" She exclaimed with wide eyes.

"What?" The others chorused.

"When Gray and I were joined by Gildarts, his body had been restored!" Tatsumi told them.

"Restored?" Draco asked confused.

"Gildarts lost his left arm and leg to Achnologia before the 'seven-year skip'." Tatsumi explained. "But when I saw him on the battle in Crocus, those limbs were completely restored. And, correct me if I'm wrong, _I'm_ the only one with the power to do that. "

The others realized what she was hinting at, and looked at each other.

"Think back!" Tatsumi told them. "Is there _anything_ you remember that could've been us? "

"There is." Draco said suddenly. "Sherria showed up about an hour into the battle. Her magic had been restored, as if she never lost it **(AN 1)**. "

"I must have gotten to her early, if so." Tatsumi said. "The amount of time it would take me to restore her; I must have gotten to her _just_ after your guild left for Crocus. "

She then turned to the others. "What about you guys?" She asked.

"Juvia remembers cloaked figures collecting the injured." Juvia said.

"Now that I think about." Hermione said in astonishment. "I've seen your Shun Shun Rikka healing Gajeel! We got separated, and I was injured by one of the rebels. I was saved by a cloaked figure, and when I woke up, I was in a strange room that I now realize was made by a mixture of my new Rune-script and Tatsu's kido!"

"So we did interfere." Draco concluded. "We saved our friends, but not ourselves."

"We need to plan this." Hermione said, taking out a notebook and a quill. "How long do you think you'll need to restore Sherria's magic?"

"At least four hours." Tatsumi estimated. "Maybe five."

Hermione noted that down. "So, while you're doing that, the rest of us will head to Crocus." She said. "We find a good place to build the 'Refuge', and maybe scower the city to keep an eye on the Rebels."

"Tatsu and I went back to the Chamber in Secrets to retrieve the basilisk-corpse." Draco said. "Since I killed it, I could sell it to the goblins, the meat is apparently a delicacy, and I decided to keep the hide so I could make armor out of it later."

"We could use that armor if we go into battle." Hermione said, unsurely. "But we won't be able to resize them later, and we're going through puberty again, which means growth-spurts."

"I can change my age, but that won't help the rest of you." Tatsumi said.

"There are aging potions we could use." Juvia said. "They only change physical age, not chronological age, so 'the Trace' won't be affected, but it's enough for what we need."

"The 'Trace' can't be monitored this far away from Britain, anyway." Tatsumi said. "And the ASS don't bother with that here because wizarding children are _encouraged_ to use their magic from an early age, so it can be properly developed. Stunting a child's magical growth in any way is considered a criminal offense, that's why our Magical Education starts at ages 5 to 6. "

"How long will it take to brew?" Hermione asked.

"Three days." Draco answered. "So we better get on it right away. We only have a week."

"We can get most of the ingredients in the Clinic." Tatsumi said.

Hermione wrote down everything, and they ended up spending the whole night planning. Tatsumi's family wasn't happy when they found out about their plan, but they realized they couldn't stop them. Tatsumi was very much Ichigo's daughter, and if this was Ichigo in her position, he would've bulldozed his way through anything, and anyone, standing in his way. Therefore, one week later, the Allstars leapt through Kisuke's World-Gate, and set foot in Earthland for the first time since their rebirth.

They had five hours to prepare, so while Tatsumi headed to Lamia Scale to find Sherria, the others headed straight to Crocus. Aged to early twenties, the Allstars didn't look much different, in fact they looked _even more_ like their previous selves. Except for Tatsumi, of course. Even so, their new Basilisk-hide cloaks hid their identities, and the hide-armor they wore was like nothing they had been known to wear in their previous lives.

Tatsumi arrived at Lamia Scale just as the delegation was about to leave, and watched as Sherria stormed off because she wasn't allowed to go. Tatsumi followed her and found her cursing her own powerlessness.

"I can't just sit around and do nothing!" The girl yelled in frustration. "Hisui-sama… Wendy… _everyone_ will all be in danger… I can't… "

"And if you could?" Tatsumi asked, startling the girl.

"Who… Who are you?!" She asked guarded.

"My name isn't important." Tatsumi said. "What's important is that, in a few hours' time, Crocus will become a battlefield. If there is any battle that needs healers more than anything else, it's this one; and Princess Hisui needs all the protection she can get."

"Well what can _I_ do?! " Sherria growled. "I don't have any magic!"

Tatsumi tilted her head. "What is I said I could restore them for you?" She asked. "Would you take the offer?"

Sherria gaped, then composed herself. "That's impossible." She said shaking her head. "We've exhausted all possible types of treatment; _nothing_ can bring it back. "

Tatsumi tried not to frown, trying to think of a way to convince the girl to let her help. She spotted a life-sized cat statue nearby; its head and paw was broken off and there were large cracks in its body. Silently, Tatsumi used her 'Soten Kisshun', restoring the statue to its former glory in front of Sherria's eyes.

"My Shun Shun Rikka has a very complicated magic." Tatsumi explained. "It revolves around the concept of 'Rejection'."

"Rejection?" Sherria asked.

"Under this dome, I can alter an object's reality." Tatsumi explained. "Every event that happens to that object leaves a mark, and by removing a specific event, I can remove any mark left behind by it."

The statue looked brand new as the dome disappeared.

"Your magic was lost because you released your 'Third Origin'." Tatsumi continued. "By removing that event…"

Sherria caught on. "It'll be like it never took place…" She breathed. She then shook her head violently, trying to shake off the desperation to get her magic back. "In exchange for what?" She asked suspiciously.

Tatsumi faced her. "In exchange for using your magic to protect the future Queen of Fiore!" She spoke determinedly. "To use it to protect all of those who are important to you! _That's_ why I'm giving you this offer. "

Sherri stared at her in shock. She clenched her fists, trying to decide if this was real or not. In the end, she bit the bullet and looked at Tatsumi with newfound determination.

"Do it!"

 **o000o**

The battle had already started when Tatsumi finally met up with Hermione. They hurried to get the 'Refuge' up and running before their first patients were brought in. Sherria had been instructed to find Wendy and Gildarts, and would hopefully be back soon. Once the room was stable, Hermione set off to join the others in retrieving the injured from the battlefield. Shortly after, Wendy's worried voice announced Sherria's return, and Tatsumi turned to the entrance to see Cana supporting her father as best she could; his prosthetic leg had been torn off, and Wendy and Sherria were working to stop the bleeding as they hurried inside.

"Lay him down over here, please!" Tatsumi ordered. She called on her Shun Shun Rikka and immediately started working.

"Will he be alright?" Wendy asked, she was terrified.

"He'll be fine!" Sherria quickly assured her. "If she can restore my magic, then restoring his limbs will be piece of cake!"

Just then, Hermione and Juvia arrived at the same time, bringing more patients before leaving quickly with the message that more were on their way.

"Sherria, Wendy." Tatsumi said. "Please tend to the others while I take care of Gildarts."

"Yes, ma'am!" Sherria said saluting, and pulled Wendy with her.

Cana had already stormed out; she was just as protective of her father, as he was of her, and you'd be damned to get in her way. Soon though, Tatsumi was forced to divide her attention between Gildarts and the arriving patients, most of which were Mundane soldiers and members of the Royal Guard. Each and every one were eager to get back on the battlefield, and were out the door the moment they were capable of fighting again. Gildarts was no different when he was released from the dome. The second he learned Cana was out fighting, he was out the door before he even realized he didn't have his prosthetics anymore. In fact, Tatsumi had to laugh as she remembered his reaction as Gray pointed it out to him.

Luckily, things had slowed down since the initial wave of patients, and Wendy and Sherria had already gone out to join the fighting. The few who were still present were unconscious and resting, and it gave Tatsumi time to really think about how different she was from 'Natsu'. She had Genryusai's composure and self-control, while 'Natsu' had had very little of both. Though there was a part of her that wanted _so badly_ to run out there and fight, she knew that her place, right now, was here.

 **o000o**

Hermione watched as her husband collapsed after a battle. He had been separated from 'Levy' about an hour earlier, and Hermione wasted no time bringing him back to the Refuge. Hermione then tracked down her past self, knowing 'she' would need help soon. She wasn't sure if she had been the one to save 'herself', but she figured that it was most likely the case, so she had to stay close. She watched as her past self was thrown through a stone-wall; that was her cue.

"Impedimenta!"

 **o000o**

Levy woke up with a start. She was hyperventilating as she looked around and her eyes landed on her husband, who was lying unconscious inside an orange dome.

"Gajeel!"

She got up and hurried over, but froze as a voice demanded her to stop.

"Don't touch the dome!"

Levy turned to see a cloaked woman approaching slowly.

"Your husband is currently being healed." The woman said. "Please, don't disturb the process."

"I'm sorry." Levy said. "Um, who are you?"

"That's not important." The woman said. "You should go. Princess Hisui needs you."

"That's right!" Levy exclaimed; she had temporarily forgotten. "What's the time?"

"About 4.30."

"Gajeel is scheduled to guard the Princess." Levy said looking at her husband. "He won't make it now; I should take his place." She looked back at the cloaked woman. "Take care of him for me."

"You have my word." The woman said.

Levy gave her a last nod, and ran out the door.

 **o0o**

Meanwhile, Draco was standing at the top of the bell-tower; a large mechanical device lay frozen behind him. Below, his past self was fighting alongside Gray to reach said bell-tower, where the Rebels had hidden a bomb that would've destroyed a large portion of town if not stopped. They were close to a hospital too, and the Rebels didn't seem to care that it was a _Children's_ Hospital. This would also be his past-self's last battle before his shift.

The reason Draco was here, was because he remembered that his past-self had reached the top of the tower too late; he also remembered seeing a cloaked figure jumping off the tower, leaving the bomb frozen and unable to explode. Gray had been injured as well, so 'Lyon' had been forced to leave him at the bottom of the tower to reach the bomb, and when he came back down, Gray was missing.

Draco had taken Gray to the Refuge.

 **o000o**

Juvia was setting up the second stage of their plan. Slowly but surely, she was setting up Repelling-charms all over the castle, and slowly but surely people were leaving; they wanted the castle to be empty except the five of them, when the time came. She had to work stealthily though, as the Guildmages were taking shifts watching over Princess Hisui, and she didn't want to be seen. She didn't have that much time, however, but she was determined to make sure no one else was hurt. Draco and Hermione arrived a bit late according to the schedule they had made, but that only made them work harder, more determined. Their past-selves had begun their shift already, and soon… it would all be over.

 **o000o**

Tatsumi was restoring the long-lost arm of a general – much to the awe of the other soldiers present – when Gajeel woke up. Gray was still unconscious, but Gajeel only needed a good meal before he was ready to get back into action. Unfortunately, it was now time. So, as the General and his soldiers prepared to leave, Tatsumi opened the doors to watch what was going to happen next. Gajeel and the General both stepped closer, curious as to what she was looking at.

In the distance, Tatsumi could hear the firing of a canon, and, in the blink of an eye, an enormous blast hit the castle, and the world disappeared in a bright, white light. The screams around her were lost in the shockwave, and the hood of her cloak was flung off as her currently thigh-length hair was blown out of the cloak that had hidden it. Gajeel and the soldiers had run towards the castle as soon as the shockwave was over, and Tatsumi heard Gray groaning in pain behind her. Though he was still unconscious, he could feel the pain caused by the death of his soulmate, and Tatsumi did the first thing that came to mind. She kissed him, and the moment her lips were on his, she felt their bond flaring and re-stabilizing as Gray settled back down in his sleep.

Meanwhile, the other Allstars were watching the remains of the castle as people gathered around a crying Princess Hisui, who was protected inside a large glowing orb that soon shattered. The Allstars all remembered the moment they saw the blast heading straight for them; they had all reacted purely on instinct with one thought in mind. Protect Hisui. Juvia had provided the base for the orb, Levy provided the spell-base, Lyon covered the orb with a layer of dispelling magic that would hopefully add another layer of protection, while Natsu covered the orb with an impenetrable Curse for the same reason **(AN 2)**. Then all four had poured every drop of magic that had into the orb, not caring that they were draining away their own life-force; they'd be dead soon anyway.

They had already known Hisui would survive, but seeing it for themselves filled the Allstars with a new sense of pride and relief. They had done their job, and they had done so successfully. From where they stood, the Allstars also noticed that the Rebels had surrendered in the belief that they had succeeded in killing off the Royal Family. They'd be in for a shock when they realized Hisui was still alive, and, due to the spells set up around the castle, no one else had died either.

Well, except those who were supposed to.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Four days later, Hisui was crowned Queen of Fiore, and many were surprised when she decided to incorporate the funeral into the ceremony by holding her first speech as Queen in front of four caskets. In this speech she thanked them for her life, said 'goodbye', and gave a promise that their sacrifice would not be in vain.

 _"It wasn't."_ Was the collective thought shared by the Allstars as they stood on a hill watching the funeral.

Ages had long since returned to normal, and they were hidden under disillusion spells. Shortly after, Kisuke's World-gate opened behind them, and they turned to leave.

"Do you think they'll believe us when we return?" Hermione asked, watching her husband as Juvia and Draco walked through the gate.

Tatsumi put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let's cross that bridge when we get there." She said.

Hermione nodded and the two walked through the gate. They still had a job to do back on Earth, and they were determined to finish it.

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 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** _Third Origin_ (Taken from the Wiki) _:_

This spell grants the user the Magic Power that, in the future, they have the potential to obtain, however, the casting process by which the recipient can gain this power takes some time to cast. The immediate side-effect of this spell being cast is that the recipient physically ages some years; for instance, they appear as an adult should they have been a child at the time of the casting.

A Third Origin release can only be received once, as once the effect wears off, the user loses the ability to use Magic forever, something which occurs due to the permanent disappearance of Ethernano from the recipient's body.

 **2)** Since there's no **_specific_** 'Curse-power' on Natsu's profile on the wiki (it just states that he has Curse-power, and that's it), I decided to make up an ability instead. I will explain this ability on a later date though.


	22. Chapter 18,3 - Interlude 3

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Interlude 3 – A Broken Family_**

Percy Weasley had always considered himself the most logical member of his family. For years he had convinced himself that following his mother's wishes was the best course of action. A job in the Ministry would help bring the family up in society, especially if he landed a higher ranking job than his father. In fact, Percy had worked hard to hopefully get a job close to the Minister. Percy had also felt a bit of resentment towards his siblings, for not trying to bring the family out of poverty, and he considered them selfish for following their own dreams instead of helping their family. He had thought of his father the same way, for clinging on to his low-income job. It had driven a wedge between him and his family, and Percy had distanced himself somewhat because of it, focusing instead on what he believed he had to do.

Percy was not a natural at Academics like his eldest brother, Bill, had been. Percy was intelligent, sure, but he had to work hard to keep his grades up, and had no time for 'pleasantries', or for much socializing. As a result, Percy had become very strict, and clung to the rules like a leech. Then, in his fifth-year, Percy had achieved his goal of becoming a Prefect, and was determined to do a good enough job to become Head Boy. He had convinced himself that his goals were worth the ostracizing caused by his behavior; and he had been convinced that he was going to 'save' his family from themselves, from poverty, and from Dumbledore, whom he didn't trust at all, and had essentially sacrificed himself to do so. Meanwhile, his own dreams lay long forgotten.

Then, Percy had started changing. He didn't quite understand why, but the more he interacted with a certain Dragoness, the more tension dropped from his shoulders. He hadn't understood it at first, but just watching the girl was… liberating. He enjoyed the atmosphere of the study-group much more than he had anticipated, and he had loved acting as a teacher for that group; it had reminded him how much he had wanted to teach when he was younger. Soon, he was socializing with year-mates from all four houses, and he was actually relaxing. He had feared that his grades would drop, but with the study-group, and his duty as a 'teacher', he found it was much easier to learn.

What bothered him, was that his thoughts seemed to fight each other, and he had genuinely thought he was about to develop a Multiple-personality Disorder. Penelope had been a great comfort, as her mother was a Mind Healer, and the two had grown close. Percy had actually been visiting Penelope when he received a letter from the twins the following summer. The twins had visited a Mind Healer in Japan and the results of the tests were alarming. It had also made sense, and Percy had quickly realized his split thoughts could easily be caused by outside influences. Penelope's mother had also been alarmed by the letter, and had agreed to test Percy thoroughly.

The amount of times Percy had been Obliviated was shocking, as were the memories that were returned to him. Most of those memories was of secret meetings between his mother and Dumbledore, or of his mother brainwashing his younger siblings. He also had several Compulsion-spells on him, and he realized that his 'desire' to work in the Ministry was caused by one of them. Once the Compulsion was removed, Percy found his thoughts were no longer fighting, but united in the desire to teach. Another Compulsion caused him to be repulsed by the family's low income, and drove him to try and 'make things better' by 'doing better' than his father. In fact, a lot of Percy's previous behavior was caused by the Compulsions. He was also compelled to completely ignore certain things, like Molly making potions in the kitchen, and he was compelled to 'go away' when he overheard certain things. Another Compulsion made sure Percy never spoke of anything related to certain subjects; like the fact that the Dark Lord wasn't as dead as people believed.

Percy realized Dumbledore and Molly were controlling his family like puppets, for the sake of greed. Percy had always been skeptical to Dumbledore and his so-called 'Greater Good' – which was looking more and more like 'Dumbledore's Personal Good' – due to a mild ability to resist mind-modification spells, but he could've never imagined it was this bad. He couldn't allow them to continue like this; he needed to save his family from them. So, when he was offered an opportunity to change the world by taking down both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord; he took it, and he hasn't regretted it. If anything, being a member of the Dragon's Court had made him more aware of just how much the wizard-world has deteriorated, which in turn enhanced his desire to become a teacher.

There was also plenty of problems with Hogwarts and its staff that he wanted to help change, and was determined to change in the future. But, first of all, Dumbledore had to go. The man had selected the most recent 'Daily Prophet Draw', and Arthur had 'coincidentally' won, and had used the money to visit Bill in Egypt, whom they had visited just six months earlier. Percy and the twins had pushed for Ginny to receive treatment after her ordeal with the Horcrux, but their parents had refused, which – had Percy not already been aware that his father was being controlled by potions – that would definitely be an alarm, as that was completely out of character for Arthur. Going to Egypt was, in Percy's mind, only an excuse to get Ginny far away from anyone who knew that she had been possessed for a year, and she wouldn't receive any help if 'those people' got their way.

 **o0o**

William 'Bill' Weasley was one of the best Cursebreakers in his field, despite his young age. He was quite handsome, with long, red hair in a low ponytail, and he wore an earring made from a dragon-fang that Charlie had gifted to him. He was currently single, though not from lack of attention; he had quite a few would-be suitors, both male and female, but he could never quite find the right one to settle down with. His colleagues called him 'picky', but Bill could never really agree with that.

Bill was the oldest of seven siblings, he had been Prefect and Head Boy during his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he had taken all Elective classes available with the help of a time-turner **(AN 1)**. His mother had been thrilled, until he told her of his plans to become a Cursebreaker, and she had never quite forgiven him for not getting a job in the Ministry. Truth be told, Bill requested to be stationed in Egypt to get away from the woman's constant nagging. When she hadn't complained about his job, she nagged him about his hair, and it made him realize that his mother would never truly accept him for the person he was.

Bill had also become somewhat suspicious of his family after he left for Egypt, as he had noticed small changes in himself, similar to how a potion-effect would wear off. However, before he could get himself checked, whatever had been in his system was already gone and untraceable. Since then, he had made a habit of watching his family whenever he saw them. He had never seen anything that alarmed him, however, and he could never find any proof that anything was going on. This time was different. The moment he greeted his family after they arrived via an International Portkey, he could tell something was wrong. There was a tension that seemed to split the family in two, and Ginny wasn't quite herself. His parents had told him that Ginny was just a little 'under the weather', and Bill knew Arthur would've never left his daughter untreated if it was anything serious; so Bill had let the matter drop.

Everything else seemed to be normal, though his father seemed a slight bit off, and the twins were more serious than Bill was used to, however Bill could tribute that to their new part-time job. Percy was normal, except for the fact that he was taking the twins' side of whatever had caused the tension. Ron was as oblivious as ever, and Ginny was trying to act like nothing was wrong, though she had never been able to fool Bill. Thing is, that was normal behavior for Ginny when she was sick, especially if she didn't want to miss out on something – like the tours of the tombs that Bill had permission to show them – so Bill still had no reason to believe that something was out of the ordinary.

Still, there were things that struck Bill as strange. As they walked through a small magical market, he noticed Percy was wearing a temperature-regulating cloak, though, while that in itself wasn't out of the ordinary, the folded Bo Staff strapped to his right thigh however, _was_. Bill had only seen the staff when Percy was examining some of the merchandise, causing the cloak to open slightly as he moved his arms. Percy had never been very close to the twins either, yet the three seemed much closer now, in fact, Bill had witnessed the twins sleeping with their heads in Percy's lap the night before, and Percy had been reading a book and petting their hair absently. It was cute.

Bill had been even more surprised when Percy revealed that he had changed his mind about getting a job at the Ministry, to which their mother's outburst was to be expected, but also strange. Percy had seemed to challenge her when she kept asking 'how it was possible' – which in itself was a strange way of wording it – as if he was waiting for her to let something slip. She hadn't; Bill had paid extra attention to the argument, and the fact that his father hadn't said anything – whereas he would normally be very vocal about his children following their own dreams – was somewhat concerning.

Bill decided to talk to Percy the next day, after they arrived at the tomb, and asked some of his colleagues to help with the tour. They had divided the group into smaller groups, and Bill ended up showing Percy around a section of the tomb that was technically off limits because they hadn't secured the area yet. One of Bill's colleagues were with them, but allowed the two some privacy. They had to be as quiet as possible, however, as there were many kinds of traps that can be triggered by sound.

"So… Is there something I need to know about?" Bill asked.

"There's a lot of things, but not much we can actually prove." Percy said. "The twins and I got ourselves checked by Mind-healers last summer and the results are pretty bad. Remember the argument last night? How mom wonder _how_ it was possible that I changed my mind about the Ministry?"

"Yeah, I thought her wording was strange." Bill said. "Are you saying she used Compulsions on you?"

Percy nodded. "Not only that, but I've been Obliviated well over two hundred times."

"Two hundred?!" Bill asked through his teeth, he had nearly raised his voice. "Why?"

"Mom's using potions on dad, and she's brainwashed Ron and Ginny." Percy explained. "Dumbledore has been paying her behind our backs, and they're colluding with him to have the Girl-Who-Lived married into our family, so that they can take over her fortune when she dies a martyr for Dumbledore's 'Greater Good'. Ginny was even possessed by a Horcrux for the majority of the last school-year; she's lost _half_ her magical power because of the drain she suffered from, but none of them even care."

"WHAT?!"

The moment Bill heard the word 'Horcrux', he could no longer control his anger; he knew from experience just how nasty those things could be, as ancient Pharaohs were obsessed with immortality, and he had even encountered a few personally. Unfortunately, his outburst had triggered something, and the tomb shook, causing the Cursebreakers to call for an evacuation. John, Bill's colleague, had reentered the room as soon as he heard Bill's yell, and the three were now blocked off from the entrance by a small army of Earth-Golems that rose from the stone floor in front of them. The golems looked like ancient Egyptian soldiers, and Bill and John immediately pulled out their wands and started fighting. Percy was told to stay back, but the moment Bill's got distracted a golem knocked him off his feet and raised its arm to slam it's spear down on him. Percy tackled the golem before it could, however, slamming his staff into the golem's gut-region and throwing it across the room.

"Holy shit!" John exclaimed seeing this. He was roughly three times Percy's size in muscle mass alone, yet he had struggled with a smaller golem than the one Percy had just sent flying.

Percy ignored him and removed his cloak, then widened his stance as he prepared to fight. "You two stay back." He said calmly.

Grabbing his staff with both hands, Percy leaped at the golems and swung his staff like a bat, slicing one Golem in half, destroying it. He then slammed the tip of the staff into the ground and used it like a pole, swinging his whole body and slamming his legs into the golems to kick them away from him, and giving him some space to move. He then planted his legs on the floor and slammed the staff upwards, upper-cutting a golem while at the same time slamming the opposite end of the staff into the floor and using it to flip his body out of the way of a sword aimed at him from the back. Percy then, locked his legs around the head of that golem and twisted his body, crushing the golem's 'neck', and, at the same time, disarming two other golems with his staff. He then slammed the end of the staff back on the floor, released the golem he had just decapitated with his legs, and swung his legs around to plant both feet into the head of a golem, decapitating that one as well.

Meanwhile, Bill and John could only gape at the sight. However, Bill was not just surprised at his brother's physical skill, but also for what else he noticed. Most of Bill's success was due to his attention to detail and his ability to observe his environment. Bill could see that Percy was, in fact, more skilled that what first meets the eye. As he fought, Percy was channeling his magic into his staff and limbs to augment his abilities, and he seemed to have eyes where normal humans would have major blind-spots, as if he was aware of every little thing that happened around him, and he was able to avoid injury by moving just enough to avoid the incoming weapon. Doing so also gave Percy the opportunity to strike back while the opponent was open, and Percy seemed just as proficient with his bare limbs as he was with his staff.

Then, Bill remembered what Percy had said. Bill had received enough letters from the twins to know the Girl-Who-lived was a close friend of theirs, and if Percy was fond of her as well, it would explain his skills; they may be training to protect her. That also meant that Percy was serious when he said their mother and Dumbledore were planning the girl's death. And if he was serious about _that_ , then he had to be serious about the potions and the Horcrux as well. Either way Bill would find out soon enough; standard procedure when traps were triggered, was to put _everyone_ who were inside the tombs, at the time of the trigger, under extensive medical examination; Bill would get his answers then.

John whistled as the last golem was destroyed. "Not bad, kiddo." He said impressed.

Percy just gave him a nod and corrected his glasses before holstering his staff and collecting his cloak. Bill then stood and motioned for them to follow him quietly; they didn't want to trigger anything else on their way out. Once outside they were met with the rest of the Weasley's, Bills colleagues, and a team of Aurors and Healer that had been contacted when the traps were triggered. Molly was arguing with the Healers, loudly, but had no choice but to comply, which she didn't, resulting in her being stunned for her own safety. Ron and Ginny were also protesting, but shut up as soon as their mother was stunned, and the fact that Arthur just sat there without saying a word was enough to convince Bill that Percy was indeed telling the truth about the potions, otherwise he would've argued with his wife regarding the health of their children.

When Bill was released later that evening, he learned that his father was in a coma, induced by a 'System Flush', and that Ginny was in 'Emergency Treatment' normally reserved for Cursebreakers. Bill was also asked to call Charlie, so the Healers could examine him for 'residue', as both Percy and the twins showed alarming levels of residue left behind from quite a few Compulsions and Obliviates. Charlie had arrived within an hour, but the Healers hadn't found much; he was like Bill, too much time had passed, and anything that may have been affecting him had long since worn off. Percy and the twins had to stay the night to clean out the residue, but would be released in the morning. Meanwhile, Molly had been arrested after being identified from the magical signature that the Healers had extracted from the spells and potions in Arthur's system.

Bill and Charlie had then been able to talk to Percy and the twins, as they shared a room, and were horrified of what they heard, especially since everything was backed-up by the Healers. Arthur would remain in a coma for a total of 24 hours, but had actually been restrained prior to the System Flush because he started to protest rather violently when the healers told him they wanted to run some checks on him; turns out he was under a very powerful Compulsion to resist anything that could detect Personality-alterations, but this particular Compulsion was too powerful to have been cast by Molly, so the suspicion immediately fell on Dumbledore. Not that they could prove it; in fact, Charlie was skeptical of Dumbledore's involvement until two days later, when they learned Molly, Ron, and Ginny were back in Britain, having been 'Transferred' on orders of the ICW, the International Confederation of Wizards. When they then discovered that the three of them were released without charges, or medical treatment, it erased any doubt that Dumbledore was, in fact, colluding with them.

Meanwhile, the Weasley-family was left broken. Arthur was taking it the hardest; gone was the man who kept insisting the test-results were wrong, leaving behind an angry and heartbroken man who clung to his sons like a lifeline. It made the boys angry to see their father so sick; he was pale, had little to no appetite, and his eyes were sore; it seems he'd cried more tears than his body could produce. Arthur also had trouble sleeping, as his memories haunted him in his sleep. Now that he was free of the spells and potions that Molly had bound him with, he could revisit his memories and see just how much he missed. It scared him, pained him, _angered_ him. It hurt him to think about just how big of a puppet he had become, and what actions he may have committed in the future if he had remained as such. Looking back, he couldn't even recognize himself, or his actions; like he was watching a pensive-memory belonging to someone else, and that _hurt_. His children were his whole world, and he wanted to give them the best upbringing he could; he wanted his children to be happy, and follow their dreams, no matter what it cost him, and it was a hard pill to swallow to realize that hadn't been the case.

Arthur thought he had married for love, yet anything that could pass for affection for his wife was now gone. He also thought he had been a good father, but, because of the spells and potions he had been under, he had listened to his wife in situations where he shouldn't have. Like when one of the kids got injured or sick, and Molly had convinced him they couldn't afford to take them to a healer, or convinced him that home-remedies and First Aid were enough. Yet, at the same time, Molly would bitch about their relationship, and would demand that Arthur buy her flowers, or other gifts, to keep her happy. Basically any money not used on and/or by her was money they couldn't afford to use. Molly spoiling her two youngest didn't help either, neither did her attempt to 'talk sense' into Arthur a few days later. The things she had revealed were horrifying, and confirmed everything Bill and Charlie had already been told. Molly had revealed that the Dark Lord was still alive, and could never truly die as long as the Girl-Who-Lived was alive. She _had_ to die for the sake of the Greater Good, and Molly had gone on to tell him what a travesty it would be if the blood of Godric Gryffindor was to die with the girl; they _had_ to make sure the blood continued to run in a good _Light_ pureblood family. _Their_ family.

Arthur, in a rare show of anger, had actually bared his teeth at the woman, and later admitted that he had never felt the need to strike someone so badly. In fact, Arthur didn't know why he _hadn't_ hit her, especially after she asked him to think about the _money_ ; saying she couldn't live with herself if she allowed all that gold to be claimed by the Goblins, who would seize the vaults after the bloodline dies out. She went on to rant about how they could finally buy a new _proper_ home – she wanted a mansion that would turn the Malfoy's green with envy – she could finally stop all that godawful knitting because they couldn't afford to buy proper clothes; they could bribe the Ministry to give Arthur a _better_ job; they would finally be _better_ than those ruddy Malfoy's, who kept throwing the fact that they were _poor_ into in their faces. Godric Gryffindor's fortune and titles would make _everything_ better.

Arthur hadn't believed his ears; not once, did she say anything about their children's' school-fees; not once did she mention doing _anything_ for the sake of their children; it was all material items, and things that had no _actual_ value in Arthur's mind. He didn't give a damn about the Malfoy's, or their taunting; he was happy with what he had, and wanted his children to grow up to be humble, confident, and outstanding people who lived happy lives. Of course, now that his mind was clear, he realized Molly had never been very supportive of their children. She nagged Bill and Charlie about their jobs, yelled at the twins for their pranks, and she was also _not_ fond of the two youngest wanting to become professional Quidditch-players. She hadn't had much trouble with Percy, but only because she had riddled him with Compulsions to do what she wanted.

When Arthur finally filed for divorce, he also filed for sole custody of his children, only to learn that neither Percy, Ron, or Ginny were his by blood. Percy, however, was now off age, and had loudly, and proudly, stated that he would remain a Weasley for as long as Arthur would have him. Arthur was touched, and had gladly spent what could've easily been his last Galleons to perform a blood-adoption. Percy had been his son for the boy's entire life, and this revelation would not stop Arthur from loving him. However, neither Ron nor Ginny had any hesitation in leaving with their mother, as if the last 13 and 12 years as a family had absolutely no meaning to them. It was heartbreaking.

Bill and Charlie also took some time off work to be with their family, and Arthur was soon transferred to the Kurosaki Clinic in Japan, as the Kurosaki's offered to take over his treatment. It also gave them the opportunity to meet the twins' employer, and it only took ten minutes to realize why the twins adored the man. Charlie and Tatsumi got along like a house on fire, given their mutual love for dragons, and Bill could see how much his brothers respected Lord Kurosaki and his family. They were certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the Nobles back in Britain. It also surprised Bill to learn just how well everyone was handling Dumbledore's plans for Tatsumi, and how well they were prepared for the old goat's moves.

Bill was not thrilled that they were preparing for war on two fronts, however, but if his brothers were going to put their lives on the line to change the world, then so was he. He sent in a request to be transferred to the British Gringotts branch. Not long afterwards, Bill had received a letter from Lord Prewett, his maternal grandfather, who was asking for his side of the 'story' regarding the divorce. Bill had sent him a lengthy letter, along with copies of all the evidence that had been collected regarding Molly's manipulations, but he hadn't really expected anything drastic to happen. Bill figured Molly had tried to get her father to sue Arthur for something, now that Arthur had officially regained his heir-title from Lady Weasley, who had paid them a personal visit after learning Arthur had been hospitalized.

Because of this, Bill was quite shocked when Lord Prewett sent him the Prewett Heir-ring, along with a letter stating Molly had been disowned, and that she and her youngest were now 'No-names'. Lord Prewett had apparently not appreciated his daughter's attempt to trick him with a fake sob-story, and he had long had his own suspicions regarding the woman's actions. Molly's brothers had apparently caught her using a 'Date-rape' potion-combination during her school-days, and she had showed little to no shame of her actions. Nor had she shown any sorrow when her brothers were killed in the first war. The whole divorce-spectacle had made the front page of the Daily Prophet, and had been the last straw, as far as Lord Prewett was concerned. He had publically disowned his daughter due to the shame she had brought upon his family-name.

Molly was subject to a lot of ridicule in the newspapers, which left Bill and his brothers with split emotions; on one hand, this was their mother, and they had loved the woman, but, on the other hand, Molly was only getting what she deserved. However, as Tatsumi had told them when the article came out, 'Blood does not make Family, Family is who you Love', and Bill was determined to remember that.

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 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** The wiki states that Bill used a timeturner during his school days at Hogwarts.


	23. Chapter 19 - An Eventful Summer

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Nineteen – An Eventful Summer_**

Tatsumi stood on a cliff elevated over the town of Magnolia. In front of her were four graves, one of which was hers. This spot held a special place in her heart; it was the very spot where she and Gray had held a Blessing Ceremony, but also were Gajeel and Levy had held their Wedding-ceremony. Perhaps that's why she wore a white dress today; a halter-style, thigh-length dress with no neckline and white shorts underneath, seen through a split on her left side. Her ears were pointed, and had been since the day her past self was killed. She and the others had all received a significant boost in power since that day, and, though she had noticed that using her 'other modes' had been far more difficult to use previously, she had attributed it to being a _child_ again. Now, it appeared her 'modes' had evolved.

Her demon-powers were stronger as well, strong enough to leak significantly through her Restrictor. However, instead of re-calibrating it, Tatsumi had chosen to replace the Restrictor with a normal choker. Instead she had chosen to wear a second Gentei Reign, calibrated to limit her demonic powers, but not hide them. Roughly 10 percent of the world's wizarding population showed some sort of creature-blood at the age of 13, so it was nothing out of the ordinary, and most people would likely expect her to be one of them anyway, given the animalistic behavior she often displayed. She also figured some would find it strange if she _didn't_ have a creature inheritance, and she didn't want anyone asking questions she couldn't answer.

She also realized that they were running out of time. They only had a year until the Dark Lord was set to regain a physical body; in other words, one year until the actual war-preparation would start. They only had another two years after that to prepare for the actual battle, but Voldemort could do a lot of damage in the background before then. She already had an idea of how to give the Courts a better chance of surviving the up-coming war, but it required a lot of work, much of which she realized she couldn't do alone. Still, she refused to fail. Several Court-members had already started to change their paths, and Tatsumi was beginning to realize just how special the members of the Courts were; but being special wasn't enough, not any more.

On the other hand, to say that this summer was eventful was an understatement. Sure, some of those things were trivial, like the yearbook that Luna and Colin had made especially for the study-group. The students received yearly year-books at Hogwarts as well, but the pictures Colin had taken were much more personalized, and Luna's design really brought the group-pictures to life. There was also a small bio next to every profile-picture, and small articles regarding the study-group and the activities that had been held throughout the year. This was what the two of them had been working on at the end of the previous school-year, and planned on doing every year forward, and Luna had also made a brochure that she wanted to have approved for use the next school-year.

Other things were more serious, however, like Lord Moon's funeral, which was three days ago. He had passed away shortly after Juvia's last visit, and Juvia was now officially a ward of the Kurosaki-family. The girl had taken great comfort in Yuzu, so much so that Yuzu had all but adopted her. Draco would call her every day as well, and the two would just talk for hours, using the cellphones that Kisuke had provided for the Courts. Juvia had also made a habit of sneaking into Tatsumi's room when she couldn't sleep. Either that, or she would keep Arthur company after he had one of his nightmares. The whole 'Weasley-divorce'-spectacle had made the front page of the 'Daily Prophet', though nothing regarding Dumbledore or the Horcrux had made it to the media. Divorce was such a rare occurrence in the wizard-world that it was nearly unheard of, especially amongst purebloods; and, though the Courts _had_ expected the Weasley Family to split up at some point, due to three of them being Court-members, they hadn't expected it to be this early.

Tatsumi had also talked to **_Magic_** and asked why none of this happened in the previous timelines, and **_Magic_** had responded that, by influencing Percy and the twins, those three had changed paths, and become aware of the manipulation they were under. In the previous timelines, Dumbledore and Molly had made sure that no one realized just how badly Ginny was affected by the Diary, and Ginny herself had long since been brainwashed to believe the money was well-worth the nightmares, and the loss of half her magic. As a future-house-wife, it didn't matter, they thought; a rich husband would cater to the girl's every need, if Molly got her way.

The newspaper article had also featured a picture that was originally taken for an article covering Arthur's win in the 'Daily Prophet Draw', except it now had a tear-like effect to show how the family had split up. You could also clearly see Scabbers – Ron's pet rat AKA Peter Pettigrew in disguise – on the boy's shoulder, and, shortly after the article was printed, Sirius Black, Tatsumi's first Godfather, had escaped from Azkaban, and Remus had been offered the DADA-position at Hogwarts as a result. Dumbledore had no reason to believe that Remus knew that Sirius was innocent, and hoped to pray on the man's wish to protect his niece from the 'escaped mass-murderer'. Remus had accepted the position, though not for that reason. Because Dementors were to be stationed 'along the border' of the school, Remus wanted to teach the students how to defend themselves against them; those things would _not_ stay at the border with so many tasty souls so close by, and Remus would be giving the Courts a head start on the Patronus Charm, once Potter Manor was re-opened; the Trace wouldn't be able to penetrate the Manor's wards, and it was closer to home for the Courts, so the Manor would be the new HQ, outside of Hogwarts that is.

They'd have to put the place under the Fidelious, but with a Shinigami as their Secret Keeper, the plan was pretty much fool proof. Their first meeting at the Manor would be held later this week, along with a number of new members that would be sworn in to the now expanded group. Actually, _everyone_ would be giving an oath, given the seriousness of their situation. They had already worked out the wording, and Luna had even worked on a logo that would be their symbol from then on. They would also be discussing some of the changes certain court-members had made to their original plans.

A new weapon at their disposal, was Alicia's discovery that her grandfather once owned a small and obscure newspaper, which premise and equipment was in usable condition. Alicia, Penelope, and Luna had spent a good portion of the summer restoring everything for use the following school-year, and Tatsumi – as she now owned controlling-shares of the Daily Prophet – was going to have Rita Skeeter under a new and improved work-contract, which would bring some well-needed attention to the new paper. Quite a few people knew Rita was a notorious liar, however, and would without doubt try and call her out when they finally started working on discrediting Dumbledore; the truth-clause in the new contract would settle that though. Rita herself probably wouldn't mind; the truth would be much more satisfying in this case. In addition, Penelope, who wanted to be a journalist, and Luna, who had experience in both writing and running of the equipment, were going to help Alicia with the running of the newspaper. Alicia herself was actually going to leave Hogwarts after her OWLs, which she would be siting this year, in order to work the newspaper full-time.

Angelina would be leaving as well, and was going to study full time under her father, who owned a Martial Arts Studio which he wanted his daughter to inherit. Angelina had been more interested in Quidditch, however, so she had previously refused. Then, she had received training with the other Court-members and it had sparked a newfound love for the art. Angelina had also learned from experience that a wizard without a wand was like a deer in headlights; she had feared for her wellbeing after being disarmed during last year's dueling class, when she had dueled a rival from the Slytherin Quidditch-team, one who had no qualms about harming her, and likely would have, if there weren't any teacher around. She knew neither Draco nor Adrian would allow the guy to hurt her, but she was still scared. The incident had caused her to change her mind about inheriting the studio, and she was determined not to let anyone else feel that kind of helplessness, and had tripled her efforts in training as a result.

Angelina would also be getting some extra training from Yoruichi this year as well, as Yoruichi would be with them at Hogwarts, disguised as Hermione's new cat. In addition, Ichigo had withdrawn the ban on Tatsumi's Zanpakutō **(AN 1)** , given the Dementors' Hollow-like nature. They also hoped to establish a Floo, or some sort of alternative, in the RoR too, as two of the Court-members had tested positive for Quincy-blood, and had started training under Uryuu to control their abilities. Uryuu had also discovered that magical energy had purifying abilities, and when merged with Quincy-powers – as is the case here – the Quincy in question no longer had to worry about destroying any souls **(AN 2)**. Magical energy also seems to be a spiritual catalyst, increasing the strength of spiritual abilities. In fact, the Courts were planning on having everyone tested by Kisuke during the next meeting, to see if they had any dormant or blocked abilities as well.

Kisuke had agreed to do the test because he was curious if magic was a mutual catalyst – meaning it too could be catalyzed by spiritual energy – or if the effect was purely one way. If Magic and Spiritual energy really were mutual catalysts, it would explain why both Ichigo and his two children were far more magically powerful than what was normal for even unusually powerful wizards; in fact, Kazui had recently become a member of the ASS-Council, despite having politely declined the position for years, and had received a lot of respect for his magical power alone. To be honest though, Tatsumi suspected he had only taken the position because he was worried about the upcoming Tri-wizard Tournament, and was planning on watching her back if their original plan for that year failed.

"Maggie." Tatsumi suddenly said, sensing the **_Divine Power_** appearing behind her.

"Yes, Tatsu-chan?"

Tatsumi didn't answer right away, nor did she face the **_Divine Power_**. " I want to tell the Courts about the future." She said finally. "I know you asked us not to say anything, but I want everyone to know exactly what they're fighting for. I'm sure they'll do their absolute best, if they knew what would happen if we fail."

 ** _Magic_** didn't respond; the sound of running interrupted her. Tatsumi glanced backwards at the noise, but Shunpo'ed away before a figure burst out of the forest. He was out of breath, and wondering if his eyes had deceived him; in his hand was a single Fire-flower.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

On August 16th, Tatsumi and her father were to meet with Rootclaw, the manager of the vaults and estates James and Lily had left their daughter. At the same time, Isshin was heading to St. Mungos to arrange for Neville's parents – who had been tortured into insanity around the same time the Potter's were murdered – to be transferred to their Clinic, where Tatsumi would later try and restore them.

"Is it really wise to send grandpa on his own?" Tatsumi asked skeptically as they walked towards the bank.

"Yeah, why?" Ichigo asked.

Tatsumi tilted her head. "You realize this is _grandpa_ we're talking about, right? " She asked.

Ichigo stopped "…Damn it." He swore.

 **o000o**

After giving Uryuu a call, the two finally arrived at Gringotts Bank, where Rootclaw was ready to see them the moment they arrived. Tatsumi noticed the other goblins were glancing at her, which was unusual, since they usually ignored costumers, unless spoken to.

"Lord Kurosaki, Lady Gryffindor may your gold forever flow." Rootclaw greeted them as they entered his office.

"May your sword slay your enemies." Ichigo returned the greeting.

"And may their bodies make up your throne." Tatsumi added with a fanged grin.

Rootclaw returned the grin and motioned for them to take a seat. "I'm sure you're curious as to why you're here, so I'll get right to it." He said. "Are you familiar with the Law of Conquest, Lady Gryffindor?"

"Not particularly." Tatsumi said confused. She had heard of the Conquest Law, but she didn't know what it entailed.

"It's an ancient law which the Wizengamot has been debating for several years." Ichigo explained. "The rules are complicated, but the Law of Conquest will, under specific circumstances, allow someone to claim the complete assets of another family."

Rootclaw nodded. "The Law states that if two Lords of Ancient and Noble Houses do battle, the victor may claim the loser's assets, _if_ , and only if, the loser's bloodline dies out as a result of the battle." He said. "In other words, when the Slytherin-bloodline perished as a result of Lord Voldemort's failed attempt of murder on your person, you fulfilled the rules of Conquest."

Tatsumi gaped at the implication.

"Are you saying my daughter is eligible for another Lordship?!" Ichigo asked shocked.

"That's right." Rootclaw said. "Two of them, as a matter of fact. Peverell and Slytherin. However, Salazar Slytherin had a falling out with his son, and set very strict qualifications for his heirs. Very few has been able to inherit his assets because of this, in fact, Lord Voldemort himself was unable."

"So for all his bragging, he was rejected?" Tatsumi asked shocked.

"Indeed." Rootclaw said grinning. "Let's start with the Peverell-Lordship, shall we."

The goblin pulled out two beautiful boxes from under his desk. He opened one box to reveal a ring with a lavender-colored stone that Tatsumi didn't recognize. It had a symbol carved into it; a symbol she recognized from a Children's book that **_Death_** had given her when she was little. The ring accepted her without trouble.

"As you know, you are descendant of the Peverell's; the youngest of three brothers, in fact." Rootclaw said. "The oldest brother died without any heirs so the Lordship went to the middle brother, from whom Tom Riddle is a descendant. Unfortunately, the family's assets were squandered away long before Mr. Riddle was born, hence also losing their seat in the Wizengamot along with their status. Fortunately, however, your ancestor did receive roughly one third of the family fortune, and when the oldest brother died his share was divided between the two youngest. Your ancestors then chose to keep his personal vault separate from the Potter-vault, and it has collected a significant amount of interest, enough to gain you another seat, in fact. I have also compiled a list of the transferred assets, from both Peverell and Slytherin, for you to look at later."

"Anything of interest?" Tatsumi asked.

"It appears the Gaunt's House has a strange set of security-wards." Rootclaw said. "We also picked up a number of traps and curses, set there by Tom Riddle."

Tatsumi frowned. _"He's hiding something there; another Horcrux maybe?"_ She thought.

"Shall we proceed with the Slytherin-Lordship?" Rootclaw asked. If the girl wanted any help with the place, she would ask.

The goblin then opened the second box, revealing a stunning, silver ring inside with a green stone. "Same procedure as we did with the Gryffindor-ring." He said.

Tatsumi looked at the ring, but didn't take it just yet, instead she started twitching. "Just how long have you known about this?" She asked.

"I've suspected for a while, but I could not truly look into the matter before Lord Voldemort's identity as Tom Riddle was positively established." Rootclaw explained. The man had performed the inheritance ritual as Tom Riddle, and he never legally changed his name, so it hadn't been easy to confirm his identity.

Tatsumi facepalmed. _"Where the fuck was this when I needed it?!"_ She mentally growled.

"Is something wrong?" Rootclaw asked.

"I spent the _entire_ school year dealing with Slytherin's Basilisk." Tatsumi said irritably. "And _now_ you tell me I've Conquered his bloodline?!"

"Ah." Rootclaw said remembering the bank's purchase of the Basilisk corpse.

Tatsumi sighed heavily and reached out take the ring out of the box. As soon as it was on her finger, it hissed at her. §Who are you to claim my title, _woman_?!§ It would appear Salazar infused the ring with his consciousness.

§I'm the one who conquered your bloodline, asshole.§ Tatsumi hissed back. §Reject me if you wish; believe me, it _won't_ be a loss.§

There was a long silence, then a warmth started spreading up her arm and over her body; the ring was testing her. When the warmth reached her head, Ryujin growled warningly, watching for the tiniest sign of danger. Finally, the warmth receded.

§You have been blessed by **_Magic._** § The ring stated intrigued. §What dangers threaten the world so greatly that she was compelled to interfere?§

§Your last descendant for one.§ Tatsumi snarked.

The ring scoffed. §Oh, yes, _him_.§ It said as if speaking of a great disappointment. §Reminds me of my disgrace of a son.§

Tatsumi blinked. §I would've thought you agreed with him.§ She said intrigued.

§Hah!§ The ring laughed. §My beloved Myra would never forgive me, if I thought like that! She was a First-generation Witch, you know.§

§I didn't know that.§ Tatsumi said in awe of how wrong the stories seemed to be.

§Neither did my descendant.§ The ring said. §Infuriated him, in fact. The hypocrite… I sensed he was not complete; unstable both magically and mentally.§

§I've met him.§ Tatsumi snarked.

§Your necklace feels like him. Why?§ The ring asked.

§He split his soul.§ Tatsumi explained. §He wished to use my death to create a sixth anchor, but performed the ritual ahead of time. So when his physical body was destroyed, a small piece of his soul detached from him, and attached to me. My Godfather later extracted the soul-fragment and made a necklace to contain it.§

§HE DID WHAT!?§ The ring shrieked. §Of all the stupid, most idiotic things…§ The ring ranted for a bit, swearing and yelling until it finally calmed down. §…You said his body was destroyed?§

§Yes, twelve years ago.§ Tatsumi said. §But he's trying to restore himself.§

§Even if he succeeds, there is no way I know of that can restore my blood **(AN 3)**.§ The ring said solemnly. §My blood has truly perished.§

The ring remained silent for a while.

§You are of Godric's blood.§ It said finally. §I suppose it could be worse. Godric was the only wizard to have defeated me in a duel… **_*Sigh!*_** Very well! The others would surely kick my butt in the afterlife, if I refused to aid a Chosen One. I, Salazar Slytherin, accept you as a Lady of my name.§

§Will I still be able to speak with you?§ Tatsumi asked, she could feel Salazar's consciousness slipping away.

§My consciousness will become dormant shortly, only to awaken when the next heir comes along.§ The ring said. §But you will find my life's work within my personal vault, you will surely find the answers to any question you may have there.§

The ring glowed for a moment, and Salazar's consciousness vanished.

"Congratulations." Rootclaw said surprised. "The ring has accepted you, though I'm surprised that it would accept a female."

"Yeah, I heard that." Tatsumi said still in a bit of awe. "Will it be possible for me to visit Salazar's personal vault today?"

"Certainly." Rootclaw said. "However, that particular vault has no key."

"I'll figure it out." Tatsumi said.

 **o000o**

Once done at the bank, Tatsumi and her father caught up with the others, who were just finishing their school-shopping. Her fellow Allstars and a few members of the Courts were standing amongst a large crowd of kids outside 'Quality Quidditch Supplies', starring in awe at the new Firebolt racing-broom.

"Is it really so much better than the Nimbus that it's worth that price?" Hermione asked.

"That's what the reviewers say." Draco said.

Tatsumi fought her way through the crowd, and a reflection of light caught her attention to some new additions. "Hey, you guys got your ears pierced." She said, noticing that Luna, Susan, Hannah, Hermione, and even Draco had at least one ear pierced while she was gone.

"Luna had wanted to get her ears pierced, but she was chickening out, so Hermione went first." Hannah explained.

"But when I finished, she was still nervous, so Susan went as well." Hermione continued, and patted the blushing blond on the head. "And you can guess the rest."

"So, how'd it go at the bank?" Draco asked curiously.

"Well." Tatsumi started, then looked around before whispering. "I'll tell you later."

 **o0o**

 _(Meanwhile)_

Albus Dumbledore, Head of the Wizengamot, had just received a notice that the Slytherin seats had been reactivated under the Kurosaki-name. He growled and tore the piece of parchment to shreds. Several Creature-laws would be under review soon, and the last thing he needed was to give the 'Creatures Rights'-supporters even more ammo.

How did everything go so wrong?

His reputation had taken a dive when it became known that his phoenix had left him, and people were saying he'd gone so far off his rockers that even the ruddy bird had had enough. Gellert, however, believed the bird had been able to sever the bond because it had come in contact with its 'Fated Companion', and Albus had a good idea of just who that was.

That bloody Prophecy Child.

The girl had been nothing but trouble, and she actually seemed to be countering his moves; but how was that possible? He needed to get things back on track. Nothing drastic at first, of course, the change must be subtle. A ¼ drop of the 'Liquid Imperious' should be enough to simulate the effects of a Compulsion; it should be a good start. If she really was onto him, she would be expecting more Compulsion-spells, seeing as he had already tried a few; and even if she was expecting potions, there was no way she could expect a potion that no one knew existed. He'd just increase the dosage over time, and, as she falls back onto the right path, the rest of the students will follow her. Albus had been a bit worried when she started that study-group, but with this new plan in mind, it might actually be good thing; by the time Voldemort returned, he'd already have an army of canon-fodder ready to be sacrificed for the Greater Good.

As the girl was underage, her only protection against spells and potions should be her 'Heir'-rings **(AN 4)** , which would only protect her to a certain degree. The Liquid Imperious, and the Amortentia that Molly was preparing, would be too powerful for the rings to shield her from. Albus smirked, but then frowned as his thoughts returned to the Weasley's. That was another thing that had gotten out of hand. The Weasley's had been his biggest supporters for years, and the declaration that the family was now 'Neutral' had been a blow to his reputation, especially as word got out about how Molly had been using potions on her family, and the fact that _she_ was the one who still supported Albus, was seen as if _he_ was endorsing criminal behavior.

What a pain.

He had hoped to use one of the other Weasley-males as replacement, if – when – Ronald failed; Ronald was as stupid as he was gluttonous, and Albus was already considering replacing the boy, even if it meant making a drone out of one his brothers. As it was, the ruddy twins had a much better chance at impregnating the Prophecy-brat than that 'bottomless pit of a garbage-disposal'. Maybe he should start drugging them _now_? No, with everything that happened to Arthur, they would be on the lookout for even the slightest of change; Albus couldn't risk it.

Then there was Black. He'd be suspicious at _any_ positive emotion his Goddaughter showed towards Albus, no matter how subtle. He couldn't risk the man getting in contact with the girl, no matter what. Having the werewolf at the school would be a good distraction. After all, the wolf would be so instinctually protective of his 'niece' that even the thought of Black being innocent should be completely out of the question. The presence of a 'Dark Creature' would lore in the Dementors as well, but Albus didn't care about that. The students would see him as a hero when he saved them from the bloody monsters, so why not let the brats suffer a bit? They'd be more appreciative that way, and if Black, or some of the other troublemakers, got 'Kissed' in the process, all the better.

 **o0o**

Back in Diagon Alley, the Allstars had just encountered Rita Skeeter at the Leaky Cauldron.

"What do you say, darling?" The woman cooed with a hungry stare at Tatsumi. "Care for an exclusive interview?"

"Sure." Tatsumi said, ignoring the fact that the woman had just called her 'darling'.

"Tatsu!" Her friends protested.

"Is that wise?" Hermione asked worried.

Tatsumi smiled reassuringly and patted Hermione's head. "Relax." She said. "Rita's an _'intelligent'_ woman; surely she's not _stupid_ enough to piss off the _majority-stock-holder_ of the Daily Prophet." She said that more to warn Rita, than to reassure her friends, who already knew she was planning on recruiting the woman.

"O-o-of course." Rita stuttered, and quickly replaced her Quick-Quotes-Quill with a normal one; she knew better than to risk her career over such a stupid mistake.

Tatsumi led Rita over to a table in clear sight of her family and friends. Rita then put up some privacy-wards, but, before she could start asking questions, Tatsumi started talking. "You're an investigative reporter, aren't you Rita?" She asked.

"Oh yes. I pride myself on my ability to find the truth." Rita said proudly. Even if most of the woman's articles was twisted so badly that they were borderline lies.

"Well, you certainly have a unique flair." Tatsumi said. "Which is why I have a proposition for you." She pulled out a folder and handed it to Skeeter. "I'll be sponsoring a new Newspaper soon, and your reputation will be profitable to us. We will, of course, be partnered with the Prophet as well as the Quibbler, but there will be a certain amount of changes now that my family will be taking an active role in controlling the Prophet on my behalf. This includes a certain amount of exclusivity, but is also requires a change in your work-contract."

Rita put on her reading-glasses and read the documents in the folder, and even performed an authenticity-spell to confirm the documents were real. The result made her eyes widen. "These are all articles you want me to work on?" She asked trying to control her eagerness.

"If you agree to the new contract, yes." Tatsumi said smirking playfully. "But with due time; right now my Godfather's case is the most important. I want you take make it enough of a spectacle that it forces the DMLE to investigate, and cancels Fudge's illegal 'Kiss-on-Sight'-order. Paint Dumbledore and the Minister in whatever light you want; we're already working on two potential replacements for Fudge, and ultimately I want Dumbledore _gone_."

"Want me to put in a good word for you candidates?" Rita asked sweetly.

Tatsumi smirked. "Amos Diggory and Hadrian Greengrass are both neutral and capable of the position." She said. "Both have a voting-history that appeals to our goals, and suggests abilities that might just salvage the sad state that the Ministry is currently in. The Bills that both have put to vote are exactly what this world needs, yet those Bills were shot down by both suspected Death Eaters _and_ Dumbledore-supporters who don't even bother _reading_ the Bills because they all follow Dumbledore blindly. In fact, both Lord Diggory and Lord Greengrass have both suggested increasing the security of the Ministry, and put in regulations regarding all those marked with the Dark Mark, yet, for some reason, Dumbledore doesn't want that to happen. If Lord Greengrass' Bill had passed, then all _suspected_ Death Eaters, whether they were marked or not, would receive proper trials and questioned with Veritaserum. If Lord Diggory's Bill had passed, then no marked individual would ever reach any influential positions within the Ministry. These are only a few examples."

"I can use those Bills in my article." Rita said thoughtfully. "I'll make it seem like Dumbledore is colluding with known Death Eaters, or better yet, sabotaging the Ministry to make himself more important. Fudge can't seem to make any decisions without first consoling the old man; it'll make him look incompetent."

Tatsumi smirked as Rita started daydreaming of the chaos she could create. Unbeknownst to Rita, a kido-field had been placed around them as they sat down, making it seem like any other 'interview', with no documents in sight as to not raise suspicion. Rita was hooked, however, and had no hesitation in signing the new work-contract; _after_ reading it, of course, she wasn't an idiot, after all.

 **o000o**

Uryuu returned to Karakura with the Longbottom's later that evening. Neville's grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, had not been happy when she found out about the transfer, but Uryuu had worded his arguments carefully, and, in the end, the desire to get her beloved son back, easily won over any suspicions she had towards the foreigner. Tatsumi then settled into a comfortable position and got to work while Neville watched hopefully. Augusta wasn't allowed inside the room, however, despite her arguments, and Arthur was currently keeping the woman busy. They had been careful to make sure Tatsumi's abilities never made it past Hogwarts' walls – though the news of her Award had, _without_ specific details – and they were planning on keeping it that way.

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The next morning, the neighbors woke up to a yelling-match, and it was lucky none of them spoke English. Karin had also made popcorn, and was sharing with Neville as they watched Tatsumi rip into Augusta without holding back. To make the show even better, was the reactions of Frank and Alice when they heard all the crap the old bat had put Neville through. The medical-report that Ichigo had made, from a thorough examination of their son, backed up the accusations as well, which made the two even angrier.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN WERE YOU THINKING!" Frank yelled at his mother. "DID IT EVEN CROSS YOUR MIND THAT NEVILLE MAY HAVE _ACTUALLY_ BEEN A SQUIB?! HE'D BE _DEAD_ , IF THAT WAS THE CASE!"

"WHERE YOU REALLY THAT _DESPERATE_ , THAT YOU WOULD RISK _KILLING_ OUR SON TO FORCE THE MAGIC OUT OF HIM?!" Alice yelled. "WE WOULD'VE LOVED OUR BABY EVEN IF HE _WAS_ A SQUIB! BUT YOU, _YOU_ ARE NO BETTER THEN THE PURITY-FANATICS! HOW _DARE_ YOU CONSIDER OUR NEVILLE AS A DISGRACE JUST BECAUSE HIS MAGICAL DEVELOPMENT WAS SLOW!?"

"AND HOW DARE YOU REFUSE NEVILLE HIS OWN WAND?!" Frank continued. "WE'D ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT NEVILLE WAS GOING TO BE MORE LIKE HIS _MOTHER_ , AND YOU DECIDE TO GIVE HIM _MY_ WAND?!"

"A WAND IS THE _SINGLE_ MOST _IMPORTANT_ TOOL A WIZARD HAS, AND YOU _FORCED_ HIM TO USE ONE THAT _DIDN'T_ MATCH HIM?!" Alice yelled. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE CRUSHED BOTH HIS HANDS WITH A HAMMER AND ORDERED HIM TO BECOME THE NEXT 'DA VINCI'!"

At this point Tatsumi joined the popcorn-munchers, and watched Neville's parents as they continued the one-sided yelling-match. Hopefully Augusta wouldn't be allowed anywhere _near_ her grandson, for a _long_ time now. God knows the bitch deserved it.

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 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** As mentioned early in 'Year 1', Tatsumi wasn't allowed to use her Zanpakutō unless absolutely necessary, though by this I mean that she wasn't allowed to activate her Shikai, as she obviously has used her sword, just not its special ability.

 **2)** This has been a concept in my head for a while, and had originated used in 'Sleeping Dragon' (a story I took down because I dug myself into a plot-hole I couldn't get out of), but basically I've given Magic purifying abilities, despite the fact that I've also made magic inferior to Spiritual energy – in other words, casting a magic spell at a Hollow is like poking a bear with a stick – but it is also a spiritual catalyst, which increases the strength of spiritual abilities.

 _For example;_ Quincy-arrows created by a witch or wizard can purify the Hollows they kill, but the arrows are also far more powerful than that of non-magical Quincy, as the 'Quincy-Witch/Wizard's' powers are catalyzed by their magic.

 **3** **)** My thought-process here is that most resurrection rituals would require something of one's _father_ to restore one's body (this is due to sexism mostly); like how Voldemort resurrected himself using 'Bone of the father' in canon. Thing is, Voldemort is descendant of Salazar from his _mother's_ side, so even if he could restore the blood he inherited from his father's side, he would no longer be of Salazar's blood, as there is no known way to restore the blood he inherited from his mother.

 **4)** I should explain that Dumbledore expects Tatsumi's adopted parents to act as her Proxy, which they do, but he doesn't expect her to take up her Lordship-titles until she's off-age, which would leave her with only the Heir-status.


	24. Chapter 20 - Potter Manor

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Twenty – Potter Manor_**

Potter Manor was located on an unmapped island outside the UK. The island was magically hidden from the Mundane World, and was entirely Potter-property. The Family Manor had large grounds which were surrounded by stone-walls, with quite a bit of forest covering the rest of the island. Tatsumi stood by the front gate, her hand on the lock, and the wards glowing and rippling slightly under her hand. Her eyes were closed in focus, and James and Lily were standing behind her in Gigai. Then, she opened her eyes and, with a slight grunt and a small push, the gates swung open.

Behind her, Lily was beaming with pride, and James was gaping like a fish. "Wha… You didn't even give the unlocking-demands!" He said shocked.

"Our baby's a genius!" Lily cooed, causing Tatsumi to twitch sheepishly at the praise.

"Shall we go inside?" Lily asked eagerly.

"Yeah." Tatsumi nodded and ran ahead.

She was curious as to what the place looked like, but, as soon as she stepped into the Entrance-hall, she was greeted by a trio of House-elves. All of which crying in happiness, then bawling as James and Lily stepped inside and introduced the two adult elves as Lois/Lewis and Clark **(AN 1)**.

"Wait, like the explorers or the TV-show?" Tatsumi asked, seeing as James had said 'Lois' while Lily had said 'Lewis'.

Lily answered. "The explorers, of course." Meanwhile, James shook his head, but didn't dare argue with his wife.

"O.K." Tatsumi said slowly, realizing Lily had named the elves after historical figures, while James had named them after fictional characters. "What about the little one?" She asked picking up the tiny female elf.

"This be our daughter, Young Mistress." 'Lois/Lewis' said. "She be born after Master and Mistress died, and we elves be named by our Masters."

"So, she doesn't have one?" Tatsumi asked.

"Why don't you name her, Sweetheart?" Lily suggested.

Tatsumi looked at her, then at the elf. She really wanted to do like James and name her after a fictional character, but she also didn't want to disappoint Lily either. So, in the end, she chose a name that did both. "Diana." She said.

"After Princess Di." Lily squealed. "That's a brilliant name, Sweetheart."

Lily then took Clark to see to the state of the property, while James walked up to his daughter. "Diana of Themyscira, right?" He asked hopefully.

Tatsumi grinned at him. "Yup!" She said, and the two of them laughed.

The two female elves seemed to prefer the comic-book-theme as well, and were smiling as Tatsumi put the newly-named Diana down on the floor next to her mother.

James then took 'Lois' to check on the manor's food supplies, while Diana followed Tatsumi in a quest to find a good bedroom. She wanted one that was either connected to, or at least close to, a room she could use as a private study. She also wanted short distance to the Library as well as the Potions Lab, so she could continue working on her new project, though she _had_ realized that the project may be a bigger bite than she could chew alone.

 _"Inari, that sounded so wrong."_ Tatsumi mentally groaned at her own musings.

Still, she realized she was a bit in over her head. She had three different 'parts' to her project, but one was way out of her league – though there _were_ two Court-members who might be able to work with it – and another was not her expertise; Runes and Letter Magic was Hermione's field of specialty. She would also need Draco's help with a potion she wanted to make, and she could use Severus and Kisuke's help as well. She had originally hoped that she could introduce her idea to the Courts by Christmas, which seemed like a long time, but anything could happen before then.

On the other hand, she could also see the benefit of bringing everyone in right from the start, and it could give the Courts an invaluable sense of achievement if they succeeded **(AN 2)**. That in turn would be more beneficial for what she ultimately wanted people to learn from this project. She wanted to give the wizard-world a well-deserved 'slap in the face'; 'magic' was currently stagnant, but few seems to have noticed just how severe it was. Wizards today memorized the same spells, from the same list, which hasn't changed for centuries, even though spell-creation was neither hard, nor difficult – as Severus had proven during his school-days. The sad thing was that most people who _had_ noticed the stagnation, believed it was because wizards had reached 'perfection' and that there were no more improvements to be made. Tatsumi wanted to prove that this wasn't correct, even if she had to 'borrow' a few basics from Earthland to do so.

Magic was not stagnant by nature, but rather because no one was experimenting anymore, not that Tatsumi blamed them; magical experimentation had become an unstable and dangerous profession, due to all the branches of magic that has been branded as forbidden since the 'Statute of Secrecy' was enforced. What little magic was left, legally, made it very dangerous to experiment, something Luna had learned the hard way when she witnessed her mother's death. Pandora Lovegood died in a magical explosion when Luna was only nine years old, and, even back then, Luna had laid partial blame on the Ministry, after hearing her mother complaining about how dangerous her line of work had become. Wizards had basically trapped themselves 'inside the box', and no one seemed to realize that magic had much more potential than anyone realized.

This was also part of the reason Tatsumi had asked **_Magic_** for permission to tell the Courts about the 'intervention'; she wanted to show them just how well magical and non-magical people could get along if the right compromises were made. Earthland was a utopia compared to Earth, and Tatsumi felt it was important to give the Courts some idea of what _could_ be Earth's future as well. Their actions, right now, would shape the world that their children would grow up in, and, if they had a clear goal in mind, Tatsumi was certain they would fight to the absolute best of their ability in order to achieve it.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

On the day of the meeting, there was quite a few new faces present, including all the remaining Weasley's, Neville's parents, Daphne's younger sister, and Luna's father. Yoruichi was there, as well as Ichigo, Remus, and Severus. Luna then presented a symbol consisting of the profile of a fairy with wings for arms and a tail that looked like a single feather, similar to that of a peacock's **(AN 3)**. The logo was painted with magical paint that made the fairy's wings and tail seem like it was made of actual fire, while the rest of its body was white. Then each member, old and new, stood under their new symbol and made an oath. Once everyone had made the oaths, the majority of the members got the shock of their lives when James and Lily stepped through the doors and made their own oaths.

"I don't know how this is possible." Alice said crying as she clung onto Lily for dear life. "Is this a miracle?"

"Sorry, Alice." Lily said sadly. "James and I are still very much dead, we're just using artificial bodies in order to interact with you all."

Ichigo then stepped forward. "James and Lily are Soul Reapers, agents from the Afterlife that upholds the balance between the Living and the Dead." He explained. "My father is the same, except from a different branch, and I myself is half Soul Reaper; I'm what is called a Shinketsu in Japanese, or True-Blood in English. Thanks to the Blood-adoption, Tatsumi is also a Shinketsu, which is why James and Lily are allowed to be here."

James continued. "Tatsumi, Draco, Hermione, and Juvia were _chosen_ by the **_Divine Powers_** to change the future." He said. "As part of **_Death's_** domain, Lily and I are allowed to help them in this task."

The Courts shared shocked and nervous looks, most of them had heard about the **_Divine Powers_** , and understood the implications of their interference. In the end, it was Susan who asked the question they were all thinking. "What happens in the future that caused the **_Divine Powers_** to interfere?" She asked not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

It was **_Magic's_** voice who answered. "I shall show you." She said, and the group was engulfed by a transparent orb, before the world around them changed. The sight that met them was a lifeless desert of ruins that was once the City of London.

"What… is this?" Katie whispered in horror.

"This is roughly 160 years from now." **_Magic_** answered as she appeared beside them. "In just a century, the wizard-world _will_ be discovered, and the world will break out into a war that ultimately ends all life on the planet. What you see here is a world where the air, soil, and water has been poisoned by both sides in an attempt to eradicate the other. This is the result regardless of whether Dumbledore or Voldemort wins the wizard-war."

No one knew what to say. Though their heads could reason that they had no proof that this woman was telling the truth, every fiber of magic within their being _sang_ in **_Magic's_** presence; like a child recognizing their mother after a long-overdue family reunion.

"But why?" Terry asked. "I mean, we know Dumbledore is a piece of shit, but surely the Mundanes wouldn't just kill us off!"

"The main problem isn't the Civilians **(AN 4)**." **_Magic_** said sternly. "It's how _wizards_ handled the revelation, that will be the _biggest_ issue. The superiority complex that many hold will be a major point of friction, and cowards like Fudge will panic and try and re-isolate themselves, then resort to kidnapping Civilian-born children, and you can imagine how _that_ will go over with the parents. At that point Civilian technology _will_ be able to detect magic on a number of levels, and many spells used today will not work in the future, including repelling charms and memory-alteration."

"Voldemort and Dumbledore both want world-domination; the Mundanes won't be taking that lying down either." Draco said.

"The wizard-world _needs_ to change." Tatsumi said. "It needs to change _now_ , if we're going to prepare people for the revelation."

A long silence followed as the Courts watched more images of the future, and saw what little life was left struggling to survive in vain. When they were finally back in Potter Manor, in the present, they all looked at each other, scared, but determined.

"So, what do we do?" Oliver asked.

"We do what we've already been doing." Tatsumi said. "We take down both Duchledore and Moldywart, and we change how people think."

Hermione turned to **_Magic_**. "Maggie, can you show Earthland to everyone?" She asked.

 ** _Magic_** nodded and held out her hands. Images of Earthland starting playing, and showing the harmony between Mundanes and Mages, to the awe of the Courts. What shocked everyone the most, however, was the images of the Allstars previous lives.

"You… You're all…" Millicent stuttered.

"Reincarnated Earthland Mages." Hermione said. "Like James said; the **_Divine Powers_** chose the four of us to save Earth."

"Let me guess." Frank said. "You couldn't change the future by Earth resources alone?" He asked **_Magic_** , who nodded solemnly.

"I've made several hundreds of attempts to change the outcome without direct interference." She said. "However, no matter what I did, _Dumbledore_ ultimately ruined _everything_. He is extremely dangerous, and I realized I needed help. In this dimension, Earth is the _only_ remaining source of life. If this planet dies, there will be _nothing_ left."

The silence seemed deafening as her words struck deep within the souls of those present. In less than two centuries this world could be dead; something _had_ to be done.

"We need more help." Ernest finally said. "Both my parents have seats in the Wizengamot, and so do the parents of many of you… if we somehow get them to team up…"

"That's what we were planning." Ichigo said. "We obviously can't tell them the truth, but we might be able to ally with your parents to influence the voting, and get some control over the Wizengamot."

"Count my father out." Theo said. "There's no way he'll agree, and I'm likely to be disowned before I can inherit his seat."

"Not if you can get rid of them first." Adrian said. "If you can have your father arrested, you can request the Wizengamot to acknowledge you as the next Lord early, then you can disown your father, and grandfather instead of them disowning you."

Theo didn't look very eager to do that. "Truth be told I don't really want to be the next Lord Nott." He said sourly. He knew that his father and grandfather were both Death Eaters, two of the most vicious ones, in fact, and both were fanatic about Purity. Not that they were against _using_ muggle women; in fact, Theo wouldn't be surprised _at all_ if he had God-knows-how-many half-siblings and half-aunts/uncles out there. He was actually planning on creating a Family-tree at Gringotts soon, just to see if there was any. "If I do end up as such, I think I'll find a good proxy and let them deal with it."

Tatsumi grinned at him. "I'm doing the same thing." She said. "When this mess is over, I'm going back to Earthland, so I'll have to leave the political stuff to someone else."

Theo returned the smirk. "Mind if I come with?" He asked. He was serious too.

Tatsumi grinned at him, then brought the conversation back to the matter of hand. "We already have 13 votes from me alone, and we also have the Moon-seat, which makes 14." She said.

"How the hell do you have 13 seats?!" Oliver asked shocked.

"3 for Potter and Gryffindor, 1 for Peverell, 2 for Slytherin, 2 for Black, and 5 which have been Willed to 'the Girl-Who-Lived' by people who died without heirs thanks to the war." Tatsumi summarized.

"Slytherin?" Draco asked surprised.

"Conquest Laws." Tatsumi said shortly. "I just wish I'd known about it sooner."

A short explanation was provided by Frank for the Non-purebloods in the room, then he added; "I have two seats myself; that makes 16." He said.

"17 with me." Arthur said. Though still not fully recovered, he had insisted on helping his sons with the fighting. Same with Bill and Charlie.

"I may be able to use the Prewett-seat." Bill added. "I may only be an Heir right now, but my grandfather is unable to attend the Wizengamot-sessions due to his age. I'll talk to him; see what he thinks."

"Greengrass and Diggory have been allied for a while." Daphne said. "It shouldn't be too hard to get our fathers onboard."

"Rita will be mentioning both as potential replacements for Fudge." Tatsumi said.

"My father will support either of them." Adrian said.

Adrian had been reviewing his father's political work since he was 14, and had been improving Bills that his father had brought forth to the Wizengamot, but were voted down because his father was a 'Dark-sympathizer'. His father wasn't the only one with this problem either, many Neutral members of the Wizengamot had little to no influence in the votes, as both 'sides' considered them sympathizers for the opposite side, hence they were considered 'enemies'. Adrian wanted this idiocy to change more than anything; both sides had to go.

"My aunt has a seat as well." Susan said. "She'll vote our way as long as it's fair and makes sense."

"House of Abbot is allied with Bones, Macmillan, and Dunbar." Hannah said receiving nods from Susan, Ernest, and Fay. "That'll give us majority-vote in the 'House of Lords' **(AN 5)**."

"That's well and all, but Dumbledore has the majority of the House of Commons wrapped in his strings, _and_ he has a few seats in the House of Lords." Terry said. "At best we can get a stalemate. Unless we can start discrediting Dumbledore and decrease his support-network."

"I think I have an idea for that." Draco said. "My grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, once voiced a theory that all Mundaneborns are in fact descendants of Squibs who were forced into the Mundane World **(AN 6)**. He believed that if two Squibs married, then their child may have a small chance of being magical."

"Or another Squib!" Lisa realized. "If a child born from a wizard and a Mundane is a wizard, then maybe a child born from a Squib and a Mundane is another Squib! That would explain why it's taken so many generations before a Mundaneborn is born; because of the low chance of producing a Magical. Then, if enough generations passed before that happened, then it's likely that that magical child is mistaken for a Mundaneborn."

"That's the perfect material form our newspaper!" Alicia exclaimed. "If we can encourage people to take the 'Inheritance Ritual' at Gringotts we can potentially prove Abraxas' Theory _and_ reveal Dumbledore's theft of assets at the same time!"

"Rita is already working on a biography of Dumbledore." Tatsumi said thoughtfully. "A few hints here and there and she'll all over his dirty little secrets like a bloodhound." She smirked.

"We should ensure some safety for her then." Juvia said. "Dumbledore won't be happy about her articles, and he might try and get rid of her."

"We can also start changing how people think about Mundanes." Penelope said. "I really like how **_Magic_** called them 'Civilians', and it goes along with what Tatsu and the others are teaching us; we, as magic-users, have a duty to protect those weaker than us, so, if we can instill that mentality into others, then the revelation would be smoother on our side. And, if we can make it clear, from the beginning, that most of us are good, even though we too have our bad seeds, it'll make us more relatable to the Civilians, and perhaps prevent the 'us-against-them'-mentality that made the war so devastating."

"What did you call Mundanes in Earthland?" Cedric asked curiously.

The Allstars looked at each other, Earthland didn't exactly _have_ a word for non-magicals. "'Civilians', I guess." Tatsumi said finally. "We've never really thought about it because we never had a _need_ for such a word." She shrugged.

The Courts nodded in understanding.

"We can use the newspaper to spread awareness as well." Alicia continued. "If we can show the wizard-world how advanced Mund- _Civilians_ are, then we can lessen the hostility as well."

"When we get Dumbledore out of the castle we can make Muggle Studies a Mandatory subject as well." Percy said. "This year will be the first time the class has been taught by a Mundaneborn, but there aren't enough people taking the class to make enough of a difference."

"We can try and get people interested by bringing a lot of Mundane technology with us to Hogwarts as well." Hermione said. "But how do we reach the students with our newspaper?"

"We can offer free copies to all students at Hogwarts, and maybe few other selected places." Alicia suggested. "We can also do mail-order subscriptions, but we need to build up the interest first."

"Subscriptions may be a bad idea." Lisa said. "If Dumbledore tries to shut us down, he might also target the people who read the newspaper."

"You're right." Alicia admitted. "I didn't think of that. Same goes for anywhere that hands it out."

"He can also ward the school against it." Tracy said.

"Not if I counter him." Tatsumi said. "I'm planning on taking more control over the wards this year. And with ownership of more than half the castle, I can do that legally now."

"You're going to start pissing off Dumbledore this year, aren't you?" Katie asked grinning playfully.

Tatsumi just returned the grin.

"Draco." Daphne said. "Your grandmother was a Rosier, do you think you'll be able to revive the seat?"

Draco thought about it. "I'm not sure." He said. "I'll have to check if I'm eligible to revive the Lordship."

"I'd be surprised if you weren't." Tracy said. "The previous Lord only had daughters, and, as far as I know, you're the oldest male in the line."

"So, what exactly is the plan?" Charlie asked.

Ichigo stepped forward. "Those of us outside of Hogwarts will form a Court." He said. "This 'Final' Court will be joined by Court-members as they leave Hogwarts. Our main job is the Wizengamot, but also to aid the original Courts in their tasks, and to maintain their training outside Hogwarts."

"I can run Miss Spinnet's newspaper while she's at Hogwarts." Xenophilius Lovegood said and turned to Alicia. "We can work out the details after the meeting."

Alicia nodded in agreement.

"Alice and I have been invited to rejoin the Auror-force." Frank said. "But I'm assuming you don't want to involve Madam Bones, since you haven't done so already?"

"My aunt is more likely to have me transferred out of Europe if she found out about us." Susan said. "She'll ban me from having any contact with the Courts, just like she banned me from becoming an Auror in the future. Not to mention, she can easily ruin everything we've done so far, because she'll be compelled to do what she thinks is right, and won't listen to our reasons."

Frank and Alice nodded. "We'll keep an eye on her then." Alice said. "She'll likely be busy with Black's case once Skeeter's article comes out, so we'll watch her back in case Dumbledore tries anything."

"Thank you." Susan said.

The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing what needed to be done to change the future. They all agreed that knowledge was the biggest issue; more specifically, the _lack_ of knowledge wizards held about Civilians. Another problem was how to control the revelation of magic to the world, and how to handle it properly. Earthland was a great source of inspiration, but the biggest problem would be the attitudes of the people, both Civilians and Magical. Civilians needed to understand that Magic was not a miracle, and wizards were not miracle-workers; they had their faults and limitation just like any other human. Magic-users were not Gods; they were not angels sent to solve all the world's problems, nor were they demons sent from Hell to corrupt and destroy. They were _human_ ; and like humans there were those with hearts of gold, and those with hearts of coal. They had their own religions, and they had their own traditions, and they would have to fight to keep those things without the threat of prosecution.

At the same time, Civilians had much to learn from Wizards. Wizards did not see skin-color, and did not judge each other by their ethnical backgrounds, but judging each other by their blood was equally ridicules, and the Courts hoped that, in the future, people would learn to ignore both. Hell, Earthland had _talking cats_ , and most people wouldn't even bat an eyelid, so the hope was for Earth to reach a similar mindset, and ultimately avoid the war **_Magic_** had told them about. Having **_Magic_** around also reinforced what the Allstars had been teaching them; there was no such thing as 'Light' and 'Dark', as the wizard-world defined them, it was all about the _intent_. The word was not Black and White, and _everything_ was relative.

The Court-members returned home that evening with a newfound sense of pride swelling in their chests. They had already known the Allstars had hidden something, but they had been patient, given how badly shaken they had all been after they learned about the Horcruxes. What they had just learned explained a lot, and it also filled the group with a newfound determination, as well as a little bit of comfort from the knowledge that Death was not an end, but rather a new beginning. Some felt relief that they were doing the right thing, and were looking forward to a brighter future. Knowing they had a world of work ahead of them, they doubled their efforts, and prepared themselves mentally for the battles they would face in the future. Every member of the Courts had their own reasons to take their vows, but everyone was determined to change the world, now more than ever, knowing what would happen if they failed. They were determined to fight, so that their descendants could live in a world that they themselves could only dream of. However, to achieve this, they would need extensive training, more so then they had already received, but it would all be worth it in the end.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

The Courts returned to Potter Manor the next day. The news of Tatsumi's new Lordship had come as a shock, but they were all excited at the opportunity to study another Founder's Legacy, as Tatsumi had copied most of the books from her vaults and made a new section in the library for them. Unfortunately, studying Salazar's works was easier said than done, and with no experience with Parseltongue's written language, Tatsumi felt as if she was back in first-grade; learning how to read and write all over again, only she didn't have anyone to teach her this time. To make matters worse, Hermione insisted that Tatsumi translate the works ASAP so she could read them as well.

Salazar's journals had, at least, given them some interesting things to discuss. It came as a shock for the Courts to learn the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was never supposed to _purge_ the school of 'First-generations', as Salazar called them, but to _defend_ the school in the event Civilians _attacked_ it. Salazar's wife was murdered by her own Civilian parents, and his youngest son was kidnapped by Civilians who burned him at the stake; he was six years old. At the time, several First-generation witches and wizards would also rat out the names of wizarding-families, acting as spies and informants in hopes of saving their own skin. Though, most of the time, the First-generations were killed regardless, unless they managed to escape. Salazar was convinced that wizard-kind would never be safe as long as First-generations existed, hence his reluctance to allow them entry into Hogwarts.

"I have a question." Lisa said. "If the basilisk was supposed to protect the school, why were the other Founders so upset about the Chamber?"

It was Hermione who answered. "Just because the snake was supposed to protect the school, doesn't mean it wasn't a danger to the students, especially the First-generations." She said having quickly adopted the term Salazar used for Mundaneborns.

"Not to mention that snake was well and thoroughly insane by the time Moldyshorts woke it up." Tatsumi added. "It didn't give a shit about the students, or the school, as long as it was fed."

"But if it was that hungry," Oliver started. "why didn't it just eat the students that were petrified?"

Tatsumi shrugged; she had no answer to that. "I guess it really depends on what orders it was under." She said thoughtfully. "If Salazar ordered it not to eat the students, and 'Tom' never overrode that order…"

"Then, why did it attack the students?" Terry asked confused.

"It was possibly ordered not to _eat_ the students, nothing about that order says anything about not _harming_ them." Theo said. "Also the Dark Lord could override his ancestor's orders, which explains why it went after Tatsu and Fay, when it had previously only targeted Mugg-, I mean, First-generations."

"You know." Adrian said, reading a translated summary. "With a few tweaks, his ideas aren't that bad."

"What do you mean by that?" Terry asked uncertainly.

Terry was a First-generation wizard, and, back in the day, Salazar had also been fighting for a new law that would basically have newborn Muggleborns taken from their muggle parents, and replaced by orphaned Civilians where possible. The First-generations would then be raised by wizard-families, decreasing the risk of being discovered **(AN 7)**. Obviously the law never passed.

"Even today, not all muggles are as accepting as the 'Light' makes them out to be." Adrian explained.

"She's right." Penelope said sadly. "Most of my mother's clients are muggleborns – I mean First-generations – who were abused by their muggle families; some were living in so bad conditions that they were forced to run away, or were rescued by Aurors because their parents snapped and tried to kill them."

"Not to mention that, just because the parents are accepting, doesn't mean the rest of the family is." Tatsumi said. "Lily's sister hated her from the moment she got her Hogwarts-letter, though their parents were fantastic."

"But that kind of hostility isn't easy to discover." Neville realized.

"Currently, there's no real system put in place to make sure muggleborns are safe in their homes." Susan admitted.

"Maybe we can change that." Padma said sharing a look with her twin. "Father owns a law-firm, and we're in training to take over the business when he retires. He also has a seat in the Wizengamot."

"We'll add it to the list." Hermione said, then turned to Tatsumi. "Did you send that letter to the Minister?"

"Yup!" Tatsumi said. "Got a reply too."

"The kind we expected?" Hermione asked.

"Exactly as expected." Tatsumi confirmed. "He won't listen about the Dementors, so we'll have to work on keeping the peace between the students this year."

"There's bound to be a lot of negative tension building up due to the Dementors; we can't afford that to happen." Percy said. "Ron and Ginny might have orders to try and take advantage of that to split up the study-group, so we'll have to keep an eye on those two as well."

"Did the No-names pick a new name yet?" Ernest asked.

"Yeah." Percy said. "They're called 'Pride' now; they had to choose a name that didn't exist in the wizard-world **(AN 8)**."

"Pride?" Millicent snorted. "How 'humble' of them." She said sarcastically.

"Obnoxious, is what it is." Daphne said, then changed the subject. "So, are we training today or what?"

"We don't have anything planned, as I need to talk to my fellow Allstars about something." Tatsumi said. "In the meantime, you guys can use the training-room, if you want."

Daphne nodded and turned to Astoria, her sister, who jumped out of her seat, eager to start her first training-session with the Courts. Astoria would be a First-year come September, and would join a Court after her sorting. Meanwhile, Tatsumi motioned Hermione, Draco, and Juvia to follow her to her personal study.

"So." Hermione began. "Why did you ask me to write down everything I knew about Letter Magic?"

Tatsumi pulled out a laptop. "Before I explain, I want you to watch something." She said and started playing a video. "I binge-watched this over the summer. It's called 'Sword Art Online'; see anything familiar?"

"That…" Hermione started. "…looks like Dark Ecriture, or a variety of it, but the spell-effect is more like Solid Script, except with a spell-structure similar to Kido."

Tatsumi nodded. "Right, now pay attention to when they do …here…" She said as the characters in the video accessed their 'In-Game Menu'.

"A hybrid form of Requip **(AN 9)** and Archive." Draco stated baffled; he just realized what Tatsumi was planning. "You want to recreate this?"

"What?!" The remaining two asked in shock.

Tatsumi responded by holding out a folder, which Hermione took and read with Draco and Juvia looking over her shoulders. Their eyes got bigger as they read.

"How did you manage this?" Draco asked in awe.

"Well, Kisuke has been studying Archive since he learned about Earthland, to use in his lab." Tatsumi explained. "And my entire team spent a Hell-week learning Requip from Erza sometime prior the 'Rebel War'."

They starred at her. "Why did you do that?" Juvia asked confused.

"Well, believe it or not, it was Happy's idea." Tatsumi said thinking back. "We were setting up camp in the middle of nowhere after a job, and Erza was sulking because she really wanted a slice of the cake she had packed into her mountain of luggage she always insists on bringing. So, Lucy ends up asking why she always brings so much luggage if the first thing she does is leave it at a hotel once we've reached our job-destination. Erza responded that she doesn't have enough room in her Requip-storage, so she has to bring everything physically. Then, I asked why she even bothers, because all she has in her luggage is food and camping-gear, yet we _never_ get to actually _use_ said food and gear because she's always forced to leave it behind. She didn't have an answer for that, so Happy says, and I quote; 'It's too bad the rest of us can't use Requip, or we could've stored it for you' and, of course, Erza thought that was a _great_ idea." She shuttered at the memory.

"…Did you get any good at it?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Surprisingly, yeah." Tatsumi shrugged. "None of us is anywhere _near_ Erza's skill and speed, of course, but Wendy and I got pretty decent at it. Not that it did us that much good, seeing as we couldn't store most of the food she brought. Canned and bottled stuff was _relatively_ _fine_ , but fresh food pretty much became inedible after being stored, even if it was just a few minutes; we learned _that_ the hard way. That's one thing I want to try and improve with the 'menu' I'm recreating; I just got to find the right algorithm."

"Algorithm?" Hermione asked. "You've been reading Programming-books?"

Tatsumi nodded. "Kisuke recommended it." She explained. "And I _am_ re-creating a 'game-feature' here."

"So there's two distinctive part of this." Draco said still reading through the folder. "The menu, and the spells."

"Three, actually." Tatsumi said. "I want to recreate some items and weapons too, but since we don't have a Black Smith on hand, I'm not sure what to do. The weapon-skills I can recreate by making them into sword-spells, but I want every member of the Courts to have their own weapons, as well as something to replace their wands."

Hermione blinked in realization. "You're doing this for the Courts." She said in awe.

Tatsumi nodded. "I want to give them a bigger chance to survive the war." She said. "I also want them to be part of the recreation process, to give them a sense of achievement and first-hand experience of what Magic can be molded into with a little elbow-grease and hard work."

"Not to mention a few of them want to come with us back to Earthland." Juvia added.

"Also, those who stay on Earth will have invaluable knowledge and experience that they would've never gotten otherwise." Draco added. He was actually quite impressed with how well Tatsumi had thought this through. "So, what will our roles be in this?"

"For you, there's a potion I want to recreate." Tatsumi said. "Hermione will be helping with the spells, but I'm not sure about the rest. Oli and Lisa can work on the weapons, or at least suitable replacements for wands, and there are a few who can help with the sword-training. Juvia's invulnerability might be good for testing the 'Fumble-effect', but…"

"What's the Fumble-effect?" Juvia asked confused.

"In the series, if you mispronounce the chant, or its interrupted, the spell explodes, causing damage to the caster." Tatsumi explained. "It's possible that it might translate over into reality since we're going to use the same structure that makes up Kido **(AN 10)** , so it's important that we test it."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "So when do we start?" She asked.

"Right now, if you want." Tatsumi said shrugging. "I'm sure the Courts can keep themselves busy for a while."

Hermione immediately grabbed one of the books Tatsumi had laid out for them – one written by Freed as a matter of fact – and got comfortable. Juvia was more curious about the anime that Tatsumi had been so inspired by and pulled up a chair to watch it herself. Meanwhile, Draco and Tatsumi started discussing the Health-restoring Potion that Tatsumi wanted to recreate, and the possibility to create a Magic-restoring Potion at the same time.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 _Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that I may or may not miss the next scheduled upload (the 1st of May), as I'm taking a bit of a breather from the swarm of ideas that is currently in my head. I've gotten some inspiration from multiple Anime (some ideas are older than others), but I don't want to overwhelm the story by adding things without thinking them through._

 _Some ideas are minor, like adding a creature from one anime, which is going to be a familiar to one of the characters, but other ideas include entire storylines, so I feel I have to be careful. I've also found an Anime from which I want to base several Court-members off some of the characters, and I'm also a bit obsessed with 'Noblesse', a Korean Manwha (Korean version of Manga – **highly recommended** ), that I found recently, so I'm also playing with the thought of adding elements from that as well._

 _However, I realize I might be doing **too much** , so I'm going to take some time to work on my Character-profiles before I continue with the story. I hope to be able to weave all my ideas into the story in a fitting and non-overwhelming way, so please be patient with me._

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** The first time I heard about the American explorers Lewis and Clark, I immediately thought about the 'Superman' TV-show, because I _heard_ 'Lois' instead of 'Lewis' and I figured I could use it as a joke. I looked it up before doing so though.

 **2)** Originally, I was going to keep the SAO stuff as a secret project of Tatsumi's, and have her reveal it during the Christmas holidays, but I then realized I could do a lot more for the story if everyone was in on the project from the start.

 **3)** The symbol is inspired by the fairies we see in the first Fairy Tail Opening.

 **4)** 'Civilian' is the term _'Araceil'_ used in their story (I mentioned this story in the 'Suggestion' I posted a while ago), and I think I like this better than 'Mundane', so I'm going to try and use that from now on, though I'm not used to the term so there might be an extended period of overlap as I try to get used to the new term.

 **5)** My interpretation of the Wizengamot is that it has _certain_ similarities with the British Parliament. It has two parties; the 'House of Lords' which consists of inherited seats, and the 'House of Commons' which consists of members who have been elected into the position. Both Houses are present during sessions and contain an equal amount of 'seats', however the size of the Houses are different. In the House of Lords, members can have more than one seat, but in the House of Commons each member has one seat, as such the House of Commons has more members.

 **6)** This is another idea I borrowed from 'Sleeping Dragons'.

 **7)** Something similar is discussed in _'Rebirth'_ by _'Athey'_ , which is one of my favorite 'Reincarnation' stories despite my habit of skipping the first 7 chapters (which are basically all background – pre-reincarnation – stuff). So if you like Dark!Harry and Voldemort/Harry-pairings, I highly recommend it.

EDIT: _'Xerosis'_ by _'batsutousai'_ is the story that mentions the idea of replacing the 'stolen' muggleborns with muggle orphans. Also highly recommended.

 **8)** There have been several fanfics that use the 'No-name'-concept, but _'Summer of Independence'_ and its sequel _'Year of Changes'_ by _'redfrog'_ is the first I've seen that actually allows those 'No-names' to pick a new name.

 **9)** In the first Fairy Tail Movie _'The Phoenix Priestess'_ we see Erza using a type of 'screen' to store a wedding-dress she just bought, so I'm assuming Requip has _some_ similarities to Archive already in canon; I'm just expanding on that.

 **10)** Remember Renji blowing himself up? Kido-spells apparently needs a certain amount of finesse and energy-control to get right.


	25. Chapter 21 - Oberon's Army

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Twenty-one – Oberon's Army_**

In the days leading up to September 1st, the Courts met at Potter Manor every day, some even staying there. Though they were all excited about the 'project', the Court-members had different views on the actual SAO-series. Some loved it, others didn't, but that really wasn't the point. Everyone was taking the project seriously; some helped with the potions, others with the runes, but most ended up studying the anime and manga in order to try and re-create the sword-techniques for use along with the sword-spells-in-making. Daphne and Astoria was leading the latter group along with Susan. Meanwhile, Juvia had put her head together with Oliver and Lisa in order to divide the Courts into nine Squads based on the nine Alfheim-races. This would give nine Court-members the opportunity to become 'Commanders' of those Squads, so everyone was doing their best to earn that rank, but Juvia also wanted to sort the Court-members into a 'Race' that suited them, which had been easier said than done, but she had managed.

The project's name was 'Oberon's Army', and Juvia decided to number the squads from 1st to 9th in alphabetical order **(AN 1)** :

The 1st Squad – Cait Sith, the Beast-tamer Race – consisted of Tracy, Ernest, and Fay.

The 2nd Race – Gnome, The Earth Race – consisted of Neville, Millicent, and Angelina.

The 3rd Race – Imp, the Dark Race – consisted of Astoria and the Tweasleys.

The 4th Race – Leprechaun, the Blacksmith Race – consisted of Oliver and Lisa.

The 5th Race – Pooka, the Music Race – consisted of Lee, Terry, and Alicia.

The 6th Race – Salamander, the Fire Race – consisted of Percy, Parvati, and Adrian.

The 7th Race – Spriggan, the Illusion Race – consisted of Susan, Theo, and Luna.

The 8th Race – Sylph, the Wind Race – consisted of Hannah, Cedric, and Katie.

The 9th Race – Undine, the Water Race – consisted of Daphne, Penelope, and Padma.

In some cases, the choice of commander was obvious; Percy, and Susan had stood out from the beginning, but now Tracy, Hannah, and even Neville were also beginning to shine. Others were proving to be formidable as well, but ultimately the decision had been left up to the individual Squads. As for their new Fairy Magic, Hermione had already done much of the work while inventing her Solid Runescript, so the actual spell-base was coming along nicely. Appearance-wise her Runescript was merely a fancy version of normal Solid Script, so the appearance of the Fairy Spells had more in common with Dark Ecriture, and they had decided to keep it that way. Effect-wise they were using Kido as examples for structure, but they were also using other spells. Hannah, for instance, had many books on Healing, which were good for the structure of healing-type spells. They had even figured out that they could use already existing spells and channel them through weapons; Daphne could, for instance, use the Knockback Hex with her rapier to simulate the 'safeguard' that was in place in the Safe-zones of SAO.

Some had also been playing with the possibility of tying an Apparition-spell to an object to simulate the teleportation-crystals, which only proved to show why excitement was just as much as an obstacle as it was a motivation; after all, that was what _Portkeys_ were for. Portkeys did have room for improvements though, so a few were looking into trying to make a custom-made version, one that hopefully couldn't be intercepted. The Courts were also beginning to find their individual styles and ways. Angelina, for one, wasn't much of a weapon-wielder, so she was focusing on hand-to-hand combat, and Yoruichi was already training the Sylphs in stealth, though Hermione and Juvia were also giving them pointers in infiltration and 'invisibility'.

Remus had also started their Patronus-lessons to a wide variety of success. Tatsumi had, unsurprisingly, brute-forced her way to master the spells, and had formed, not one, but two corporal Patronuses. Neville had, surprisingly, or unsurprisingly given his situation, also succeeded in creating a corporal Patronus, and Draco was not far behind, being set to master the spell within the next lesson. Susan was trying to do like Tatsumi, and brute-force the spell, but was having no success so far. Some Court-members had been able to create silver mists – some being able to produce a thicker mist than others – but other Court-members had little success. Hermione, for one, was an emotional rollercoaster during the lessons, going from happy one second to depressed the next; and making it obvious what kind memories she was trying to use to conjure the spell. Nothing could make her happier, or more depressed, than thinking about her husband.

So, when Hermione was taking much longer than usual to get out of the shower after their lesson, Tatsumi went up to talk to her. "You feeling alright there, Mione?" She asked as the bluenette finally stepped out of the shower.

"I'm fine." Hermione said with a sigh.

Tatsumi tilted her head. "You don't _sound_ fine." She remarked and sat down on the counter next to the sink. "What's bothering you _this_ time?"

Hermione blushed slightly. "It's nothing… just… old insecurities." She said reluctantly.

"Is this about your boobs again?" Tatsumi asked bluntly. It was a complete guess, but she could tell by the way the girl was holding herself.

Hermione would've laughed if she wasn't so embarrassed.

"Haven't we been over this?" Tatsumi asked more seriously. "They're the same size as before, so what's the problem?"

"They're _not_ the same size!" Hermione insisted. "They're _smaller_." She whined.

"You're _14_." Tatsumi said baffled. "Besides, I'm pretty flat too, and you don't hear me complaining."

"They're _twice_ as big as mine, and you're _younger_ than me!" Hermione snapped.

Tatsumi gave her a 'look'. "I'm only a year younger, and it's not like _Gajeel_ ever complained about you breast-size, did he?"

Hermione turned red. "No." She said weakly. "… Not out loud…"

Tatsumi mentally growled in annoyance. "Let me tell you something about Gajeel." She started. "Every Miss Fairytail Contest since the two of you got together, he has muttered the same sentence whenever some of the contestants got too many wolf-whistles from the audience. That sentence is, and I Quote; 'Levy is way cuter than those big-chested bimboes' **(AN 2)**."

If possible, Hermione would have turned even redder. "…. He really said that…?" She asked shyly.

"Damn right he did." Tatsumi grinned. "Sometimes he'd even yell it out loud. In fact, I'm surprised you didn't hear it from back-stage, because the other girls heard him, and you know as well as I what those girls will do to people who insult them like that."

Hermione smiled shyly. She remembered a few times when Gajeel had showed up after the contest looking like he'd just been in an all-out brawl. She just figured he'd gotten bored and started a fight.

Tatsumi petted her on the head. "Feel better now?" She asked and received a nod. "Good." She said and jumped down from the counter. "Now get dressed, 'cause we're late for lunch."

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

 _(September 1st)_

It was a rainy day as the Hogwarts Express made its way through the British country-side. Tatsumi was asleep in a makeshift bed she had made on one of the luggage-racks of the train-car that the Courts had claimed all to themselves. Having been up late the night before, finishing the first of several spells to come, Tatsumi had already changed into her uniform so she didn't have to wake up to change later on. Despite the weather, everyone was excited to return to Hogwarts, but the group was keeping the noise down as Remus wasn't well. Last night had been a Full Moon, so the werewolf was tired and sore.

"Professor Lupin, will you be alright with the Dementors around?" Luna asked worried that his recent transformation made him more sensitive to the cloaked soul-suckers.

"I'll be fine, Miss Lovegood." Remus answered trying to reassure her.

"Do you want a Pepper-up anyway?" Hermione asked as she was petting Yoruichi, who was curled up in her lap.

Remus smiled at her. "Well, I certainly wouldn't say 'no' to one." He said.

Hannah pulled a vial from her pouch and handed it to him. She had been reading the 'Monster Book of Monsters', the Course book for the elective 'Care of Magical Creatures', which lay obediently in her lap. She had been scared of the thing when she had first seen it in the book-store, but Tatsumi had taught everyone how to use their magical pressure to calm the book, similarly to how Ichigo had calmed the caged books in the store, much to the relief of the clerk, who had been bitten five times that day alone.

It also didn't hurt to hear how Tatsumi had received her copy as a birthday present from Hagrid, and had apparently spent an hour playing with the thing in fox-form before nearly breaking a lamp. Also, Juvia's copy had had a run in with Nami earlier today, and was apparently terrified of the little calico cat that was currently patrolling the train. In fact, having been mentored by Mrs. Norris for the last two years, Nami seemed to enjoy terrifying the other students.

On the other side of the car, Oliver had just folded the newspaper he was reading. "You know, normally I take Skeeter's articles with a grain of salt." He said. "But _this_ is a _masterpiece._ "

"More like an entire salt-shaker." Percy muttered and looked at his roommate. "Are you crying?"

Oliver held up the newspaper. It was the 'Voice of Truth', Alicia's newspaper, though an abridged version of the article was also featured in both the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler, along with a recommendation to read the full story in the 'Voice of Truth', which would be available at selected post-offices.

"It's so _beautiful_." Oliver said wiping away a tear. "I'm going to have it framed."

The Front Page of said newspaper read: **_¤ Sirius Black Never Convicted! – Mass-murderer or Innocent Victim?_** _By Rita Skeeter._ It was the only article of the entire full-sized newspaper, but seeing as they didn't have any other articles to print yet, they might as well use the space, and, from the very first page, the readers are put an emotional rollercoaster that forced them to question everything they thought they knew. Alicia had co-written the article, but due to the circumstances she obviously she couldn't put her name on it. Still, Rita had been quite impressed with her. Together they covered Sirius Black's past, from his school days – where stories of his pranks had the readers laughing with him – to his career as a member of the Auror-department. He was one of many youngsters admitted to an Auror Speed-training Program set to get more people onto the battlefield quicker, due to the war, and the article covered Sirius' war-efforts, sharing stories told by other Aurors who had seen him in action; sending the readers through thrilling and suspenseful battles for justice, and made them feel as if they were watching the horrors of the blood-war through the eyes of what many had once called one the greatest war-heroes of modern times.

But, in-between the horrors of war, the readers also saw the rays of light in an otherwise dark time; from the birth of his Goddaughter, to the honor of going through the revered 'Guardian Rituals' **(AN 3)** , but the article also covered the devastating loss of his best friend, followed by blinding rage. Though previously believed to have been the one to betray the Potter's to the Dark Lord, the article revealed that the Potter's Last Will and Testament had, in fact, named another as their Secret Keeper, revealing that Sirius Black was merely a decoy. For those who had always found it odd that the Potter's would choose someone as obvious as Sirius Black, it finally made sense, and for those who had truly believed that Sirius Black had been a traitor, the revelation made them feel ashamed for having missed such an obvious detail.

The article took the readers through desperate hunt for the real traitor, the rat Peter Pettigrew, and the readers cheered for him as finally found his prey, only to experience devastating grief as Sirius was arrested for murder. However, while the readers rejoiced at Pettigrew's supposed death, the article drew them back with questions that no one had seemed to think of previously. The biggest and most important question being: 'Why wasn't any of this revealed at the trial?'. The answer was simple; there _was no trial_ , as no such record exists exist within the Ministry. Another question awaiting answer was 'who killed those 12 muggles?'. After all, Sirius Black was a well-trained Auror with impeccable aim, so what's the chances that he would miss? Or was it actually Pettigrew who threw that fatal spell? The 'Incendio'-spell was a simple one, after all, and that was all it took to ignite the sewage gasses that caused the explosion. Again, this answer could have been easily answered with a trial, and those are the thoughts that the article left its readers with; leaving them with a single and powerful question in mind.

 _Why_ did Sirius Black never receive a trial?

 **o000o**

"The Weather seems to get worse the further north we get." Tracy said looking out the window. The weather was so bad that even the darkness of night couldn't hide the rain that hammered down on the train.

"We might want to get our rain-cloaks ready." Millicent added. "We'll be there shortly and the rain doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon."

As if on cue, the train started slowing down, which alarmed of the Courts, as there was still half an hour left of their journey. Tatsumi was suddenly wide awake as well, sensing the danger.

"Wands out!" Remus ordered. He could sense the Dementors already before the train jerked to a stop, and the light went out. "Tatsu, you take the front of the train, Neville, you take the back! Draco, halfway to the front car! I'll guard here!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Tatsumi, Draco, and Neville had already mastered the Patronus, so they had agreed to cover ¼ of the train each, should something like this happen. Tatsumi's twin Kitsune were already out and ran by her side as she headed to the front of the train, and the further she got, the more ice were forming on the windows. The atmosphere was terrible, and she felt the icy negativity crawling across her skin like a spider. She released a bit of her fiery presence as a response, trying to neutralize the Dementors' icy auras with her own.

Further back, Draco's eagle-sized dragon – which looked suspiciously like Pina from SAO despite Draco's insistence that he wasn't a fan of the series – tackled a Dementor that had gotten too close to one of the students. Meanwhile, at the back of the train, Neville's Panda Bear **(AN 4)** , and Remus' wolf, were chasing off the Dementors before they could even board the train. But, no matter what they did, they couldn't seem to deter the Dementors for long enough to get the train started again. Then, flames seemed to cover the train on the outside, it's warmth spread throughout the train, followed by a roar that could be heard echoing through the sky. Ryujin Jakka had been released, and the Dementors fled.

 **o000o**

"Was it really that bad that you had to release your Zanpakuto?" Daphne asked shakenly, and clinging onto her baby sister as the train finally rolled into Hogsmeade Station.

"I climbed on top of the roof of the train and saw more of those things approaching from a distance." Tatsumi explained as the students departed from the train. "I figured I'd give them a warning."

Daphne nodded. Just those few Dementors had made her feel like her very bones were freezing to ice; she could only imagine what would happen if the other Dementors had gotten close as well. The fake Dementor, AKA Boggart they had used for training, was nothing like the real thing. Daphne was very reluctant to let go of her sister, but Astoria had to go with the other First-years, while Daphne joined the others in the so-called 'horse-less carriages', that were actually pulled by Thestrals. The incident had spooked the students so badly that even the two lone Dementors guarding the school-gates caused the students to huddle together as the Carriages moved passed them.

"The hell is Dumbledore thinking?!" Adrian growled. "Allowing those _things_ to 'guard' the school."

"I'd say he wants to look like a hero when he 'saves' the students from them." Katie said angrily and leaned closer to Adrian. The two had started dating over the summer.

The Courts had known the atmosphere at Hogwarts would be horrible, but the students were already being affected by it. Juvia had been unusually quiet as well, and the Allstars were reluctant to leave her, especially Draco, but they trusted Susan – the newly appointed Lieutenant of the Shadow's Court – and the rest of the Court to take care of their leader as they entered the Great Hall, and were forced to split up. Hermione and Tatsumi were stopped by Professor McGonagall, however, just as they were about to enter the Hall, and were taken to her office.

"Have as seat." McGonagall said. "Miss Kurosaki, I understand you got ill while on the train."

The girls looked confused. "Wha-" Tatsumi started saying but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

The door then opened and the School Nurse walked in, confusing the girls even more.

"You called for me, Minerva?" The Healer said.

"Yes, Poppy." McGonagall said. "Miss Kurosaki has had a run in with one of the Dementors."

The Healer frowned. "Putting those things around a school, what on Earth were they thinking?" She muttered as she felt Tatsumi's forehead.

Tatsumi, however, had had enough and pushed the healer's hand away. "CAN SOMEONE _PLEASE_ TELL ME WHAT THE _HELL_ IS GOING ON?!" She yelled angrily.

McGonagall looked at her oddly. "The Headmaster informed me that you had a severe reaction to the Dementors when they boarded the train." She said. "Is this not correct?"

"NO, IT'S NOT CORRECT!" Tatsumi yelled standing up, then forcing herself to calm down. "While I can't say someone _didn't_ get sick from those things, I _can_ tell you it wasn't _me_!"

McGonagall looked shocked, then looked at Madam Pomfrey who nodded; the Healer had not seen as much as a drop of sweat on the girl's forehead. "I see." The Professor said a bit bemused. "I still have something to discuss with Miss Granger, so why don't you wait outside in the meantime?"

Tatsumi left the office with Madam Pomfrey, who headed straight back to the Hospital Wing. A few minutes later, Hermione stepped out and the girls started walking back to the Great Hall.

"So, what was that about?" Tatsumi asked.

"Dumbledore seems to expect you to be hypersensitive to the Dementors." Hermione guessed. "It's not hard to see why, given how attractive you are to them."

"They seem to think I'm dinner." Tatsumi muttered. "It's because I'm a Shinketsu; those things are more like Hollows than we thought they were."

Hermione nodded.

"What about you?" Tatsumi said. "What did she talk to you about?"

"She told me it wasn't too late to change my mind about my subjects this year." Hermione said. "Remember, Juvia talked me out of taking every subject?"

"Yeah?" Tatsumi asked suspiciously.

Hermione smirked and pulled a time-turner out of her shirt and put it around Tatsumi's neck. "I told her that I still wanted to take every subject, but realized I could study certain subjects on my own, and take my OWLs and NEWTs in those subjects at the Ministry." She said. "She kept insisting that I change my mind, and her eyes were glazed over while she did. So I told her that I might decide to sit the end-of-term-exams with the other students, but only if I could use the time-turner to study those extra subjects instead of going to so many classes. So my schedule is still the same; I just need to borrow the time-turner to sit the exams."

"Dumbledore must really want you to have it." Tatsumi said surprised, then she realized what Hermione had said. "Wait, did you say 'borrow'?"

Hermione smirked again. "I figured you could use it to translate Salazar's works much faster." She said.

Tatsumi sweatdropped. _"Of course she did."_ She thought. Though, she had to admit the Time-turner was a _very_ useful tool.

The girls arrived at the Great Hall shortly after, just in time to see Professor Flitwick walking out with the Sorting-hat and the stool; they'd missed the sorting. They two had just sat down at their respective tables, when Dumbledore stood and beamed at the students.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" He said. "I have a few things to say, before we become befuddled by our excellent feast. As you know from the search of the Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts – at the request of the Ministry of Magic – will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban **(AN 5)**."

Being reminded of the horrible event earlier, the students murmured apprehensively, and looked at each other with worry.

"The Dementors will be stationed at the entrances to the grounds." Dumbledore continued. "While they are under strict orders not to enter the castle itself, you will on occasion see them as you go about your daily activities. Under no circumstances are you to approach them, nor are you allowed to leave school-grounds. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving, nor will they be fooled by tricks and disguises – not even by Invisibility Cloaks."

He glanced at Tatsumi before continuing. "I am warning each and every one of you; do _not_ give them any excuse to harm you." He said. "Prefects and Head-Boy and –Girl, please make sure that no students have any incidents with the Dementors."

Percy and Penelope both straightened in their seats. They were Head-Boy and -Girl, so most of that responsibility was on their shoulders.

"On a more pleasant note, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good luck to you, Professor." Dumbledore announced.

Remus stood and bowed to the applause. Though you could tell that having a new professor every year was quickly getting old.

"As some of you may know." Dumbledore continues. "Professor Kettleburn, our 'Care of Magical Creatures'-teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be filled by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid!"

The students roared in applause, causing Hagrid to blush furiously and he nearly toppled the table as he stood to take a bow. Having been cleared of the accusation that resulted in his expulsion so many years ago, he was finally able to get better work; and what job was better than a teacher at the very school he went to as a child? Of course, he'd have to take his 'Care of Magical Creatures' tests over the summer, but he had passed both with flying colors.

"Now, I believe that was everything of importance." Dumbledore continued when the noise died down. "Let the feast begin!"

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 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** I'll be describing the characters in Interlude-chapters. It just takes up so much space that it doesn't really fit into a normal chapter.

 **2)** I got this sentence, or something similar, from a Fairy Tail / Harry Potter Crossover I read a while ago, but I can't remember which, or what the plot was beside a group of mages going to Hogwarts.

 **3)** The 'Guardian Rituals' is something I made up. I've seen similar things in other fanfics, but I don't think anyone actually explained their thought-process. Basically these rituals are a set of magical vows that a Godparent makes to their Godchild, it is an ancient set of rituals that uses a tiny bit of Blood-magic to complete and is a 'dying art' due to – amongst other things – the ban on, and growing disgust for, Blood-magic.

 **4)** At first, I was thinking to make Neville's Patronus a lion (seeing as he never managed a corporal Patronus in canon), but I already had someone else in mind for that. So, I thought about it, and it hit me that Neville has something very important in common with pandas. They're underestimated. Neville is constantly underestimated due to his personality, and some people seem to completely forget that pandas are **_bears_**.

 **5)** Again, I'm using an online manuscript just to save time on translating and writing speeches and some dialogues etc.


	26. Chapter 22 - First Day of Term

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter Twenty-two – First Day of Term_**

9 AM, first day of term. A scream is heard throughout the castle, echoing through the halls and scaring the wildlife. The source of the scream was the Divination-classroom where Professor Sybil Trelawney has just fled the tower, screaming at the top of her lungs that the world was ending, and the Grim Reaper had come to take her. Minutes later, Tatsumi finds herself in McGonagall's office for the second time in two days.

 _"_ _You'd think Trelawney would've checked the attendance-list a little sooner."_ Tatsumi thought. She was still in awe of how shocked Trelawney had looked when she saw her.

Meanwhile, McGonagall was pinching her nose. _"I told Albus this was a bad idea."_ She thought. _"He knew how Sybil reacted to the girl, so why did he insist on allowing her to take the class?"_

McGonagall sighed. "Is there any way I can convince you to drop Divination?" She asked.

Tatsumi thought about it. She had genuinely wanted to take the class, but she couldn't deny it would be difficult to learn anything if the professor kept running off like that. Then there were the translations that Hermione was hounding her about, as well the stuff for Oberon's Army.

"I guess I could study on my own." Tatsumi said. "It's not like I'd learn anything in the classroom anyway, if she keeps reacting like that."

McGonagall sighs in relief. "Is there another subject you'd like to take?" She asked.

Tatsumi shook her head. "I don't need Muggle Studies, and math isn't really my thing." She said honestly. "I also have a few personal projects that I'm working on, so I'll keep myself busy."

McGonagall nodded. "Very well." She said. "I'll update your schedule and hand it back to you by your next class."

Tatsumi stood and bowed slightly before leaving. She now had a free period and thought about heading to the library as she walked. In the end, however, she decided to go for a run in the Forbidden Forest; the Dementors shouldn't bother her in fox-form, and she felt like hunting something.

 **o000o**

Tatsumi was one of the last to arrive for Transfiguration-class, and was still in fox-form when she noticed the gray-haired tabby sitting stiffly on McGonagall's desk. The cat hadn't seen her, and Tatsumi decided to have some fun by propping her fore-legs on the desk and sniff at the cat, who nearly jumped out of her skin. Tatsumi just wagged her tail and panted playfully at the cat, whom was actually McGonagall herself.

A whistle caught her attention and she looked back to where Draco snapped his finger close to the floor next to his desk, beckoning her to come over. She pushed of the desk and bounced over to enjoy a few scratches behind the ears before the bell rang. She then transformed and took the vacant seat next to her friend.

McGonagall, who had been completely unaware of Tatsumi's ability, was so shocked that she nearly forgot her own demonstration, until Ronald burst through the door, late for class, and sighed when he saw the 'teacher' wasn't there yet.

McGonagall regained her composure and jumped off the desk as she transformed, much to Ron's surprise. "Five points from Gryffindor for being late, Mr. Pride." She said. "Now, please take a seat."

 **o000o**

"Miss Kurosaki, a word, if I may?" McGonagall asked as the students packed up and headed to lunch.

"What's up?" Tatsumi asked once they were alone.

"I'm just wondering how you find the class-work." McGonagall asked. "I've noticed that you have very little challenge in your assignments, and I must say I was floored when I saw you in your Animagus-form. I don't recall seeing your name in the registry, however; how long have you been able to transform successfully?"

"It's not required for citizens of other countries to register with the British Ministry." Tatsumi explained. "As for how long; the first time I transformed – that I know off – was at 16 months old."

Seeing McGonagall's shocked face, she sheepishly continued. "I apparently saw my Godmother transform into a cat and tried to mimic her." She explained. "You see, the Potter's had a block placed on my Core the day I was born, but we removed it so the Blood-adoption could settle properly; so I had a bit of extra energy at the time. My Godmother has since taught me how to control this ability."

"I see." McGonagall said still recovering from the shock.

"As for the assignments." Tatsumi continued. "We start our magical education at age 5-6 in Japan, so I have more theory under my belt, and better control over my magic than most of my peers, so I get the spells down quicker. I admit it's a bit boring, not just in this class, but all my subjects; but I usually keep myself busy with other things."

McGonagall tilted her head curiously. "Such as?" She asked intrigued.

"Well, Hagrid asked me to help out a bit with the animals, and Draco and I help out Professor Snape in the Potions Lab about three times a week, though sometimes we just experiment with random ingredients. Also, we'll be helping with the Wolfbane Potion for Remus." Tatsumi said. Remus didn't really need the potion after merging with his Inner Wolf, but they weren't willing to reveal that fact. "I also go through my vaults in Gringotts and read the books in there. I also spend a lot of time with Hagrid; and, as of today, there's also my self-study of Divination, and then there's the other personal projects I mentioned earlier."

McGonagall nodded, remembering their earlier conversation. She then pulled out Tatsumi's new schedule and handed it to the girl. "I look forward to seeing the results of those projects, Miss Kurosaki." She said. "Now head to lunch."

Tatsumi bowed politely and left the classroom to catch up with her friends.

 **o000o**

After lunch, the students made their way outside for their first 'Care of Magic Creatures'-class. Tatsumi took a deep breath through her nose, savoring the smell of yesterdays' rain, which still lingered in the damp vegetation. Hagrid was waiting for them outside his hut with Fang, and appeared impatiently eager to get started.

"C'mon now, get a move on! Got a real treat for yeh. Great lesson comin' up." He said eagerly. "Is everyone here? OK. Follow me."

"He barely took any time to see if everyone was here." Hermione said as they all followed. "He's not taking us into the Forest is he?"

"He's not." Tatsumi assured her. "We're headed to a small paddock _near_ the forest. Though I have to wonder if Hagrid is starting off with a bigger bite than he can chew."

"Why's that?" Lisa asked. Almost all third-year members of the Courts where here, with the exception of Draco, Juvia, Susan, and Ernest.

"The animals in that paddock are Fifth-year level." Tatsumi explained.

"How do you know that?" Tracy asked.

"I helped Hagrid practice yesterday." Tatsumi explained. Despite the late hour, Hagrid had been so nervous that she spent more time calming him down more than anything else.

"I-it's not something dangerous, is it?" Neville asked.

"Not if you follow Hagrid's orders and read the book." Tatsumi said. "But the main concern is being polite. These creatures are very vain and proud, so don't insult them."

After five minutes of walking, Hagrid finally stopped aside a small, seemingly empty paddock near the pumpkin patch. A bunch of dead ferrets were hanging from an iron rack inside the paddock.

"Gather 'round. Find yerself a spot." Hagrid ordered as he stood by the fence. "That's it. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

"And exactly how do we do that?" Parkinson snapped with a sneer, but a flurry of pages made her look back at the other students, who, much to her shock, had already opened their books without any problems. Well, except for Ron, who was currently wrestling with his in the background, and losing badly.

Hagrid beamed while Hannah turned to Parkinson. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" She asked innocently. "You just stroke their spines, of course."

Parkinson blushes in fury and embarrassment. "Well, excuse me for not wanting to get my fingers bitten off!" She yells. "How was I supposed to know we had to _cuddle_ with them?!"

"You could've just asked." Millicent said. "Didn't you see us reading our books in the common-room yesterday? Even your trolls were smart enough to ask." She said pointing to Crabbe and Goyle who also had their books open, even if they both had bandaged fingers.

Hearing the students laughing at her expense, Parkinson turned an even darker red and groaned like a spoiled brat as she turned around crossed her arms, ignoring everyone as she sulked like a three-year-old who had just been denied a cookie.

"Alright everyone." Hagrid said bringing the attention back to him. "I'd like yeh all to turn to page 258 and start reading. In the meantime, I'll be getting the animals ready."

Hagrid then turned around and walked into the paddock before heading into the forest. But, while the other students read their books – or trying to in Ronald's case – Parkinson was still furious.

"God, this place is going to the dogs!" She said snottily. "I can't believe that oaf is allowed to teach!"

"Then quit the class, if your' so unhappy!" Someone snapped at her.

But, before she could turn around to identified who it was, a strange beast emerged from the forest. Parkinson was the only one surprised to see it was a Hippogriff; an animal with the torso, hind legs, and tail of a horse, while the front legs, wings, and head was that of a giant eagle. Then, another dozen Hippogriffs stepped out of the trees with Hagrid shooing them towards the students, who looked at the animals in awe from the other side of the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid yelled excitedly. "Beau'iful aren' they?"

The students agreed. Though the creatures' front talons were large and positively deadly, the Hippogriffs were stunning, with shinning coats of both feather and fur in various colors; stormy-gray, bronze, white with a hint of pink, and even shinning chestnut, as well as pitch black.

"Now, I hope yeh read yehr book carefully." Hagrid said. "Hippogriffs are proud creatures, they are. Easily offended too, so don't _ever_ insult one, 'cause it might be the las' thing yeh do. Right then, who wants ter come an' say hello?"

The entire class stepped back from the fence, except for Hermione and Tatsumi. Hagrid frowned in discouragement, but remembered what he had practiced yesterday and asked Tatsumi to come up and demonstrate the proper way to great a Hippogriff. Tatsumi flipped over the fence while Hagrid brought forward a different Hippogriff from the one they had practiced with.

Tatsumi stopped a little distance away, then Hagrid introduced the Hippogriff. "This here's Buckbeak." He said, then turned to the students, who had stepped back to the fence. "Now, it's important ter let the Hippogriff make the first move. It's polite, see? Also, once yeh got eye-contact, make sure not to blink too much; Hippogriffs won' trust yeh if yeh blink too much."

Hagrid then turned back to Tatsumi, who was waiting for his signal. He gave her a nod, and she nodded back. She then made sure to make eye-contact with Buckbeak before taking a step forward and bowing slowly and politely. When she straightened, the Hippogriff was staring at her with its orange eyes, judging her. Hagrid was just about to tell her to step back, when Buckbeack unmistakably bowed to her.

"Well done, Tatsu!" Hagrid praises. "Go on. Give 'im a pat."

Tatsumi gently reached out and stroked the beast's beak with a smile. The students applaud her, except for Parkinson who looked disappointed, and Ronald who muttered something about a 'Show-off'. Tatsumi ignored him, and continue to pet the Hippogriff, who closed his eyes in pleasure as she started scratching him under the chin.

"Look at that!" Hagrid exclaimed proudly. "I reckon he might' let yeh ride 'im!"

Tatsumi blinked, and titled her head inquisitively at the Hippogriff while Hagrid walked over. "We'll jus' set yeh behind the wing joint. Mind yeh don't pull any feathers out. He won' like that." He said as Tatsumi climbed up on Buckbeak's back. Hagrid then slaps the Hippogriff's hindquarters. "Off yeh go!"

Buckbeak gallops forward, unfolding his giant wings, and soared up into the air, going higher and higher. With a wide grin, Tatsumi lifted her arms into the air and yelled ecstatically into the winds as they flew passed the Whomping Willow, passed Hogwarts Castle, then swooped down towards the Black Lake where Buckbeak's talons gently tickled the surface of the water, before a whistle could be heard in the distance, and Buckbeak returned to the paddock, galloping to a halt. The students cheered as Tatsumi slid off Buckbeak's back, giving her new friend one last scratch.

"Good work, Tatsu!" Hagrid praised, then whispered. "How'm I doin' on me first day?"

"Brilliantly." Tatsumi said grinning, then turned serious. "But I'd recommend you not letting Parkinson near the Hippogriffs; she hasn't read the book, nor was she listening to your instructions. She's an accident waiting to happen, so watch her."

Hagrid nodded, taking her advice seriously as he turned towards the rest of the class. "Who wants to meet some Hippogriffs?!" He asked.

The students, encouraged by Tatsumi's success, climbed over the fence and Hagrid introduced them to the other Hippogriffs. Parkinson, however, was asked to stay by the fence, and instantly started acting like a spoiled brat who had just been denied a toy. She argued with Hagrid when he told her to read her book – as she wouldn't be let close to the Hippogriffs before she read the safety-instructions – which lost her five points for disobeying a Professor, and another five points for insulting said Professor. The threat of doubling the points finally shut the girl up, but as soon as Hagrid's eyes were focused on Neville, who kept running away from his assigned Hippogriff, the brat strutted straight up to Buckbeak.

"I'll show that oaf. If the pink-haired Mudblood can do it, it must be _easy_." She muttered, then she turned to the Hippogriff, and said loudly; "You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute-"

Her words had made everyone turn to look at her, and the students gasped as Buckbeak's eyes flashed in anger before he rose up on his hind legs, slashing down with his large, deadly talons. Some of the girls screamed and put their hands over their eyes, not wanting to see those talons ripping into Parkinson's flesh.

But it wasn't Parkinson whom the talons sunk into, it was Hagrid's shoulder. Though his moleskin coat protected him somewhat, blood still spattered onto the grass as he shielded Parkinson with his own body. At the same time, Tatsumi dashed forward, causing Buckbeak to whip around, raising his talons again, but – as he sees Tatsumi standing in front of him – he lowers them and ducks his beak. Once the Hippogriff is calm, Tatsumi turns to her classmates and starts barking out orders.

"What are you just standing there for?" She yells. "Get Hagrid to the Hospital Wing immediately! Daph, Tracy, take Parkinson to Snape; tell him exactly what happened and let _him_ deal with her. I'll stay here and take care of the Hippogriffs!"

The students ran into action, most working together to help Hagrid towards the castle, while Hannah was trying to control the bleeding. Meanwhile, Daphne and Tracy both grabbed Parkinson by the arms and lead the ghostly pale girl to their Head of House's office. Tatsumi then gathered the Hippogriffs, fed them, and made sure they had plenty of water before leading them back to the forest. She then headed back to the castle.

 **o000o**

When the Courts met later that night, Tatsumi was the last to arrive, having talked to Hagrid and Severus in the Hospital Wing. She had also talked to Hogwarts, who had bad news for her.

"How's Hagrid?" Was the first question she was asked as she walked through the doors to the RoR.

"He's fine." Tatsumi said and the Courts sighed in relief. "His coat took most of the damage. He's gotten a few stitches, and is going to be on anti-infection Potions for a few days, but other than that, he's just bruised. No broken bones or anything."

"And Parkinson?" Draco asked.

"Well, on top of the points she lost during class, she's lost an additional 50 points, and will serve detention for at least a month." Tatsumi explained. "Severus said he's going to be teaching her just how dangerous her little stunt was, but if the message doesn't sink in until the detention is over, he's going to extend her detention until it does. She's also lost all Hogsmeade-privileges for the remainder of the school-year, and was forced to drop out of Care-class."

"I bet Lord Parkinson is going to be pissed." Adrian said. "The family get most of their money from raising animals, whose body-parts can be used as potion's ingredients; she needs that class if she wants to take over the family-business one day."

"If so, he might try and have Buckbeak euthanized." Cedric realized. "He'll blame the Hippogriffs, and Hagrid, to make his daughter look good."

"He won't succeed." Tatsumi said determined. "Everyone present saw how Puggy acted, and the fact is that she disobeyed a direct order to stay away from the Hippogriffs."

"I'll send a letter to my dad." Cedric said. "He works in the Ministry and has friends in the Committee that deals with cases like this. Mind if I send him the memories?"

"Does he have a pensive?" Susan asked. "They're really rare."

"Yeah, but we never use it." Cedric said. "I think it's in the Family-vault at Gringotts, unless he sold it."

"Have him ask my Aunt to borrow hers, if he needs to." Susan said. "She uses ours for her job, as the Ministry doesn't have one."

"Speaking of your aunt." Hermione said. "Anything about Black?"

"Nothing I've been informed of." Susan said. "But, I'm sure she's started investigation into Skeeter's claims. The 'Kiss-on-Sight'-order has been canceled though. Officially, anyway."

"We can count on her to make sure he gets a fair trial this time then." Percy said pushing his glasses up.

"Let's hope so." Tatsumi said. "On an unrelated note, I have some bad news."

"What is it?" Millicent asked.

"Hogwarts has informed me that Dumbledore found the RoR over the summer." Tatsumi explained. "He knows we use the room to meet and tried to spy on us."

"So, we officially move to our back-up?" Susan asked.

"Yes, but I want all of you to continue entering and leaving through the RoR." Tatsumi said. "The room will provide passages to Godric's Hall, but the last thing we need is for Dumbledore to find out that we're on to him, and start searching for whatever room we're using. We want him to continue believing that we're using the RoR."

"Understood!" The Courts chorused.

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 _Hey Guys._

 _I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. There has been some bad (though not quite unexpected) medical news regarding my mother and, as you can probably understand, this might affect my uploading schedule. Luckily, I do have the next 2-3 chapters semi-finished, so, hopefully, you won't notice it right away. That being said, my will to write isn't exactly strong at the moment, so I may or may not miss the next scheduled upload due to my mood._

 _I'll try to keep my schedule as best I can, but I can't promise anything, and I hope you understand. Prayers will be appreciated, and welcome, but there is good treatment for this stuff with usually good results (so I've been told), so we're hoping for the best._

 _Anyway, thanks for listening, and I'll, hopefully, see you guys next month._


	27. Chapter 23 - The Boggart

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Chapter Twenty-Three – The Boggart_**

A few days passed since the incident in 'Care of Magical Creatures'-class, and Lord Parkinson had indeed filed a complaint against Hagrid and Buckbeak. However, Tatsumi had contacted Rita and the incident had been featured in the Daily Prophet, and the Voice of Truth. Hagrid had received high praises due to his heroic actions, and Lord Parkinson attempt to have Buckbeak euthanized had not been well-received by the public. His business had taken a bit of a dive as well, seeing how Pansy's disrespect for the animals had sparked rumors of mistreatment amongst the students, and it didn't take long to reach their parents. The Parkinson's owned many farms, which provided a number of animal-products to both Potion-brewers and Wand-makers, and it was quite well known that mistreatment of these animals would severely compromise the quality of the products. His customers were outraged.

Pansy wasn't doing so well in detention either, and continued to lose points during every session because she kept yelling and arguing like a toddler throwing a tantrum. She had taken to trying to curse or sabotage Tatsumi at every opportunity as well. But the curses didn't seem to have any effect, and someone would always catch her before she could do any damage. Currently, the girl was sitting on a stool in a corner of the Potions-classroom with a cone on her head, proclaiming her a 'Dunderhead', after she got caught trying to throw things into Tatsumi's cauldron. Every word she spoke would deduct her one point, so she was forced to bite her tong whenever a student looked over at her and snickered. Even Zabini was making fun of her, but while everyone else were just laughing, he and his group were taunting her. Severus would deduct points whenever he heard anything, but Zabini didn't seem to care as long as he could take another jab at Parkinson.

Tatsumi also noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were glaring at Zabini, and the thought of teaming those two up with the twins was a tempting one, but Lady Zabini wasn't known as 'the Black Widow' for nothing, and was rumored to have trained her son in assassination-techniques **(AN 1)**. Draco had confirmed this, as Lucius had wanted to hire the boy as Draco's body-guard at one point. It was also the reason why Tatsumi hadn't pranked the boy, despite his behavior. The Tweasley's left him alone as well, for the same reason.

"Have you heard?"

Tatsumi looked at Seamus Finnegan who acted as if he wanted to borrow her scales.

"Sirius Black was spotted in Achintee, that's not far from here." The boy said. "It was in the Prophet this morning. They say a Muggle spotted him, so it took a while for the Ministry to get there. He was long gone by then."

Tatsumi nodded. "Chances are Fudge is still trying to have him Kissed despite his order being canceled; he can't afford to be caught just yet." She said. "Even with the majority of the public now supporting him."

"You don't think he's headed here, do you?" Seamus asked. "Since he was spotted so close? If I were him I'd flee the country."

 _"He's after Pettigrew."_ Tatsumi thought, but she couldn't say that out loud. "I don't know." She said. "I just hope he doesn't try doing anything stupid."

 **o000o**

DADA was the last class of the day for Tatsumi and Draco. They would be covering Boggarts today, which neither of them were thrilled about. Remus had asked both of them to help with the practice for the exercise he had planned, and had decided that neither of their fears was suitable to show the rest of the class. For Draco, the Boggart had showed Juvia dead; and Tatsumi's greatest fear was to succumb to her demonic instincts. Luckily, all the safety-spells he had put up had worked perfectly, and the Boggart would only be able to focus on one person at one time with the set-up they had.

The class was quiet as Remus explained the agenda for the day; the students had come to respect him after their first DADA class of the year, where Remus had emphasized that a Wand was not a toy, or a harmless tool, and were to be treated as a weapon. It was the most _dangerous_ item a witch or wizard could own, and was _not_ to be taken lightly. Your wand was your sword, and your wand was your shield; to point your wand at a person was a direct threat, and no matter how much you trust the person aiming at you, they, are, _threatening_ , you. To hold your wand in your hand while in the presence of others was a statement of distrust; that you were preparing to either attack or defend yourself at any second. A wand not pointed at the floor was a potential threat, as your wand can, and will, react to strong emotions, and if you don't control where your wand is aimed, you can cause a heap of different accidents. Like a sword, your wand was to remain sheathed, in a proper holster, unless you're expecting a fight, or feared for your life **(AN 2)**.

A tall wardrobe rattled violently in a corner of the classroom, startling the students. The wardrobe didn't move again, but several students were now eyeing it verily.

"Would anyone like to venture a guess as to why I've kept the boggart locked in a wardrobe?" Remus asked, and several students raised their hands. "Mr. Finnegan?"

"They like dark, close spaces." Seamus said.

"That's right." Remus said smiling. "Can you give any examples?"

"Well, there's wardrobes, as we can see, but they can also be found under beds and under kitchen sinks." Seamus said.

"Correct again. Five points to Gryffindor." Remus said nodding. "Now, as I've mentioned, Boggarts are shapeshifters, and will take on the form of a person's greatest fear, but they can easily be defeated with laughter. Can anyone tell me what a Boggart truly looks like?"

Again, several hands went up.

"Miss Bulstrode?"

"No one knows what a Boggart truly looks like." Millicent said. "This is because it detects your fear so quickly, and transforms so fast, that no one has ever been able to see their true form."

"Excellent, Miss Bulstrode. Five points for Slytherin." Remus said. "Now, take out your Practice-wands and mimic my movements."

Remus had handed out a wand-shaped stick to every student at the beginning of class. This would allow the students to practice wand-movements without actually pointing their wands at the back of the head of the student in front of them. Remus himself was also using Practice-wand.

"The incantation for this spell is 'Riddikulus'." Remus said. "It is a spell that forces the Boggart to take on a form that is humorous to the caster. Is everyone familiar with that spell?"

"Yes, Professor!" The class chorused.

"Good." Remus said. "We don't have enough time for all of you to go up against the Boggart, so is there anyone who's particularly eager to try? If not, I can pull random names out of this cup." He held up a tea-cup with a bunch of small pieces of paper folded inside. "Everyone who successfully deters the Boggart will receive five points for their demonstrations."

Since no one was eager to step forward. Remus pulled a handful of paper out of the cup. "I believe we have time for 5 of you." He said and started calling out names. "Mr. Pride, Miss Patil, Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Thomas, and Miss. Davis. Please step forward. We'll start with you Mr. Pride."

Ron gulped and stepped forward, and, after having the students practice the spell one more time, he led Ronald towards the wardrobe. "Now, Mr. Pride, what do you expect the Boggart to transform into?"

"A-A spider." Ronald said, and some of the girls nodded in agreement.

Remus nodded as well. "Is there anything you can think of to make the spider less scary?" He asked.

Ron thought about it. "I think so." He said, swallowing slightly, and gripped his wand tightly.

"Alright." Remus said and swung his wand at the wardrobe, causing the doors to fly open.

Ron nearly fled at the sight of the giant spider, but Remus steadied the boy. Ron then raised his wand. "Riddikulus!" He cast, and rollerblades appeared on each of the spiders eight legs, causing the spider to shuffle crazily in place, and causing the class to laugh as it started spinning.

"Miss Patil, it's your turn." Remus said and Parvati switched places with Ron.

The boggart started spinning, faster and faster, and suddenly shifted into a bloody and bandaged mummy. It turned its faceless head towards her, and lifted its tiff arms as it started walking towards her, dragging its feet.

"Riddikulus!" Parvati cast.

A bandage loosened and the mummies feet became entangled, causing it to fall flat. Its head coming off and rolling across the floor.

"Mr. Finnegan." Remus called and Seamus switched with Parvati.

The mummy transformed into a Banshee, who screamed eerily.

"Riddikulus!" Seamus cast, and the Banshee held her throat as she lost her voice.

By now, the others had taken the cue and Dean stepped up without Remus having to call him. The banshee transformed into a severed hand that crawled over the floor towards the boy.

"Riddikulus!" Dean cast, jumping a bit to avoid having his feet grabbed.

The severed hand was suddenly stuck in a mouse-trap, and Dean let out a sigh of relief. Then Tracy stepped up, looking a bit pale, and the Boggart transformed into a ball of thick, black smoke that exploded out of the wardrobe and engulfed the entire classroom in darkness.

Several people yelled for Tracy, and Remus yelled to try and get the Boggarts attention onto him. Then…

"RIDDIKULUS!"

The smoke transformed into hundreds of tiny multicolored flames that reminded everyone of confetti. Remus then wrangled the Boggart back into the wardrobe as the Court-members checked on their friend. Tracy had fallen to her knees, and was shaking, but was otherwise fine. She wasn't the only one shaking either, Tracy's Boggart had taken the form of a reoccurring nightmare she had since she was little; but it wasn't the darkness itself that scared her, it was the growls and snarls that came from the darkness; something was hunting her, something she couldn't see, but was mere inches away, close enough that she could feel the beast's breath on her exposed neck. The other students had experienced it too, and for Tatsumi, the aura felt way to close to a Hollow to be a coincidence.

As such, once class let out, she took Tracy's hand and led the girl to an unused classroom nearby. The other Court-members followed them, and Tatsumi asked Hogwarts to secure the room. Only then did she turn back to Tracy.

"I know you've already told us about the nightmare, but are you sure it's just a dream?" Tatsumi asked.

"Of course." Tracy said confused. "Why do you ask?"

"The creature in the darkness." Tatsumi said. "I recognized it as something my family encounters frequently."

Tracy and the others were shocked, then Draco seemed to realize what Tatsumi meant. "You mean a Hollow?" He asked.

Tatsumi nodded.

"What's a… Hollow?" Tracy asked unsure if she really wanted to know.

"It's a bit of a long explanation." Tatsumi said. "Before that, I want to confirm something."

She pulled out her phone, and called Kisuke. As she spoke in Japanese, only Draco understood what she was saying, and his eyes widened for a second. When Tatsumi got off the phone, she just said they were going to have to wait for a few minutes. She also apologized to Tracy, but said it was necessary.

Then, a few minutes later, the lights went off. It got so dark that not even the light from the windows could penetrate the darkness. Then the growls started, causing everyone but Draco and Tatsumi to freeze. Tracy was in disbelief; she could feel it, the beast's aura, it was the same. The same as her nightmares. It was coming closer; she felt the breath on the back of her neck, and she started shaking. She felt something touch her neck, and screamed bracing her head with her hands as she fell to her knees again.

The light came back on. Tracy opened her eyes to se Tatsumi kneeling in front of her with a concerned expression. "I know you're scared." Tatsumi said softly. "But can you tell me if that was the same as in your dream?"

Tracy nodded shakenly. "It was." She confirmed. "The growls were a bit different, but that aura… it was the same aura."

Tatsumi nodded and pulled Tracy up from the floor. "Come on, there's someone I want to introduce you to." She said.

Tatsumi then pointed to behind Tracy, who turned to see what, at first glance, appeared to be a giant Black Panther wearing white armor on his chest and legs **(AN 3)**. "Everyone, this is Oscar." Tatsumi introduced. "He's a friend of mine, but I assure you that most of his kind are _not_ friendly." She walked up to Oscar and petted him. "Oscar is something called an Adjucas Hollow. 'Adjucas' being his evolutionary level."

"But, what exactly _is_ a Hollow?" Daphne asked somewhat verily.

"Ever wondered why you don't see Civilian ghosts." Tatsumi asked, causing many to blink as they had never thought about it. "The soul is connected to your body by a chain. This is called the 'Chain of Fate', and it breaks when you die. Now, you all believe that your magic returns to the earth when you die, since ghost can't use magic, right? Well, that's not correct. Your Magical Core actually liquefies and covers what remains of your chain, protecting it from corrosion, and making it invisible **(AN 4)**. Civilians don't have magic, so their chain remains visible and unprotected. If a Civilian ghost is not discovered and brought to Soul Society, the Afterlife, before the chain corrodes completely, a hole will open up in their chest, where the chain was once connected. Meanwhile, their hearts liquefy and is regurgitated through their mouths, covering their faces before hardening into a mask."

Tatsumi petted Oscar's muzzle, making the other notice that his head was actually more of a mask than an actual face.

"As this happens, their bodies transform into that of a monster." Tatsumi continued. "Their minds become like that of a beast, driven by their most primal instincts, and a hunger that won't go away no matter how much they feed."

"Feed?" Theo asked. "On what?"

"Their diet is the same as a Dementor's." Tatsumi said. "And these monsters can't be controlled, nor do they care of their victim is still alive or not. The more spiritual power a soul has, the more attractive they are to a Hollow, and, like Shinigami, they can't be seen by ordinary people, wizard or otherwise. You have to have a certain amount of Spiritual Power to see them. Luckily, the general rule is; if you can't see a Hollow, they won't care about you, unless they're really, _really_ hungry."

Tracy swallowed. "You said they evolve?" She asked nervously.

Tatsumi nodded. "When a Hollow is formed, that spirit loses everything that once made them human, but Hollows seem to regain some of what they lost as they evolve." She said. "You see, a Hollow grows stronger the more it feeds, and each soul it eats becomes a part of it, but their hunger grows with them, so eventually they'll go over to cannibalism, eating other Hollows to try and satisfy their growing hunger. Sometimes, a bunch of Hollows can congregate and end up eating each other to the point where they merge into a single being. This is called a Gillian, and a Gillian can then evolve into an Adjucas, at which point the strongest personality, out of all the souls that have been consumed, then takes over. This allows the Hollow to regain a more rational mind, allowing them to form thoughts again, rather than being driven by their instincts alone. This makes them far more dangerous, as they can actually strategize and trick their victims."

"But why would a Hollow haunt Tracy in her dreams?" Draco asked bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"I don't know." Tatsumi said. "But, the fact that it's a Hollow can't be a coincidence; I think Tracy may have encountered a Hollow while she was very young, and the dream is actually a memory, or part of a memory. She certainly has enough Spiritual Power to catch one's attention."

Tracy paled again. "My uncle." She whispered in realization. "He was killed when I was two; he was babysitting me at the time, so my parents believe I saw it happen… it was believed to have been an animal-attack, but they were never able to identify the creature."

"Do you know if your uncle was spiritually aware?" Tatsumi asked.

"I don't know" Tracy said. "Although… my mother sometimes makes these comments, about the Quibbler; saying the editor is just as 'delusional' as her brother had been."

Tatsumi nodded. "It's likely that he was then." She said.

"I inherited almost everything he owned." Tracy said absently. "But my mother refuses to give me the vault-key."

"Talk to the goblins." Draco told her. "Unless your uncle set an age-restriction, you should be able to get a new key, and invalidate the one your mother has."

Tracy nodded. "I think I'll do that." She said.

"The tests Kisuke took should be done soon too." Tatsumi said. "Let's see what the results say first, then decide what to do."

"If there are more of us that need to go to Gringotts to unlock something, then we might as well go together." Daphne said, then checked her watch. "The others should be at the library by now, let's not make them worry, shall we?"

Everyone nodded and headed to the library.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

A letter from Kisuke came the next morning and the Courts gathered at the first opportunity. Most members of the Courts didn't have any noteworthy results, but there were a few surprises. For one, Daphne and Astoria's results came back inconclusive, and Kisuke was requesting that they be retested. Tracy, however, had two blocks on her Core, one Magical and one Spiritual. They all agreed that a small group should head to Gringotts in the morning, which was a Saturday, but sneaking out of the castle without being caught wasn't easy with the Dementor's outside, luckily Fawkes and Dobby could easily get them past the wards without Dumbledore finding out.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the Courts went down into the Chamber of Secrets to explore the place for any additional secrets that may be down there. Juvia was down in the water to see the parts of the Chamber that was currently submerged, and to look for any holes where the water may be coming in from. Once those holes were fixed, they could start draining the water and explore the rest of the Chamber. Theo and Susan were leading a group through the tunnel-system that contained the plumbing, to map them out, while another group, led by Luna and Hannah, were checking out the underground tunnels. Tatsumi and Hermione were preparing to crawl inside the mouth of Salazar's statue, where the basilisk had slithered out from, to make sure there wasn't any unwanted surprises hibernating down there. They were both about to put their goggles on when Juvia resurfaced. She was wearing a Mundane bathing-suit and waved them over to talk about what she had found.

"Juvia found a strange collapse down there." Juvia said. "It appears to have been a tunnel of some sort; the water came from there."

"Anything else of interest?" Hermione asked.

"Juvia found a lot of doors. Juvia thinks about 60-70% of the Chamber is underwater." Juvia said.

"Anything that can be salvaged?" Hermione asked hopefully.

Juvia nodded. "The rooms appear to be flood-proof." She said. "Juvia thinks Salazar took precautions in case of cave-ins like the one that flooded the chamber."

"Any ideas on how to drain the water?" Tatsumi asked.

"Juvia might be able to drain the water once the cave-in is cleared." Juvia said "But Juvia won't be able to hold it for long, and the hole needs to be fixed while Juvia is controlling the water."

"I might be able to temporarily block the hole with a kido-barrier." Tatsumi said. "But it's best we have a plan for rebuilding before even trying to drain the chamber."

Hermione and Juvia nodded in agreement.

"Juvia will continue her search." Juvia said and dove back into the water while the others returned their attention to Salazar's statue.

Tatsumi hissed, causing the mouth to open and peered inside. She sent a palm-sized Blue-bell Flame down the statue's throat. It was a long and steel way down. She hissed again, asking any snakes that may be down in the darkness to let itself be known. There was no reply, so Tatsumi turned to Hermione. "We're going to need a very long rope." She said.

Hermione nodded. "Solid Runescript: Rope." She chanted.

A long, golden line of runes dove down the statue's throat, and once it reached the bottom the rope anchored itself around the statue's head and the girls slowly and carefully repelled down into the darkness. Tatsumi's Blue-bell Flame was lighting up the stomach of the statue, and, when the girls reached the bottom, they found a nest… with eggs, one of which had hatched a long time ago as the eggshell had dried up and become brittle. The other eggs were seemingly under a stasis-spell, though one seems to have recently come out of stasis and was now incubating. Hermione was quick to put the egg under a new stasis-spell when they discovered it; the last thing they needed was another basilisk to take care of.

Tatsumi bent down and touched the bedding. "This place is definitely an incubator." She said. "The spells must be tied to the basilisks' life-cycle, so a new egg is hatched after the death of its predecessor."

Hermione nodded, having thought the same. "The basilisk Draco killed should've been at the very end of its life, given that a thousand years have passed since the era of the Founders." She said. "Yet, the basilisk was both fast and agile, indicating it was much younger."

"Salazar's original familiar must have been the mother." Tatsumi said thoughtfully as she stood up and looked around. "She must have died a while ago, and the egg that hatched belonged to the one Draco killed. I don't see a skeleton, do you?"

Hermione shook her head. "Maybe we'll find it in another part of the Chamber?" She suggested. "For all we know, it could have been killed in one of the cave-ins."

Tatsumi nodded. "Let's leave." She said. "I'll seal the statue with a kido-barrier, and then I'll contact Kisuke so he can find the best way to deal with the nest."

"I'll add to the barrier." Hermione said. "Just in case."

The girls climbed out of the statue's mouth just in time to hear the other Court-members returning from their explorations. Luna's group had mapped several cave-ins in the tunnels, though they also noted that fresh air seemed to be coming from behind the rubble in two of them, indicating those tunnels led to the outside, most likely so the basilisk could hunt without being discovered, or having to go through the castle to feed. Susan's group had returned early when they discovered they would need some actual climbing equipment to explore some of the steeper parts of the plumbing-system, though they _had_ managed to find several openings where the basilisk could slither in and out of those tunnels. So far, at least one bathroom on every floor had secret doors leading into the plumbing-system, which made sense once they figured out that both wizards and House-elves would need those entry points in order to find and repair any potential leaks in the pipes as quickly as possible.

"So, any plans on renovating this place?" Hannah asked curiously as they prepared to leave.

"No." Tatsumi said. "As tacky as it is, we want to preserve the original state of the Chamber, though we do have quite a bit to repair."

Hannah nodded, Tatsumi's answer was exactly what she had been hoping for; the historical value of the Chamber was enormous, and she hoped they would be able to open it for study sometime in the future.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** I know this is a bit over-used, but I didn't want Zabini to be just another 'normal' bully. I wanted him to be a certain amount of actual threat.

 **2)** A similar lesson can be found in _'Lily's Changes'_ by _'arekay'_ , which is a re-do fic featuring a Good!Voldemort who ends up teaching DADA after a furious, but still dead, Lily Potter decides to take matters into her own hands, and change the past… after spending the first three chapters ranting.

 **3)** Oscar is not unlike Grimmjow's Adjucas-form in appearance, except with less 'armor' and a lot more black fur, making him look like a black panther wearing armor on his chest and legs, and camouflaging his Hollow-hole.

 **4)** Again, this is a concept I borrowed from _Sleeping Dragons_ (a story I took down because I dug myself into a plot hole I couldn't get out of, and has put on hold for the moment).


	28. Chapter 23,4 - Interlude 4

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Interlude 4 – First Squad: Cait Sith (three short stories)_**

 _Ernest (mostly)_

 _(Takes place sometime after the establishment of the Final Court, but before September 1st)_

Ernest studied himself in the mirror. He had just been released from the room where Daphne and Lisa had set up their 'make-over station', and his current appearance was quite different from what it had been just hours ago. If you compared him now with a picture taken at the beginning of First-year, you'd barely recognize him. He had started out as a stout, blond-haired boy who was very neatly dressed, and had neat, short hair. Now, he had lost a bit of weight, having become more lean due to his training, and was gaining muscle. Daphne had used a spell to grown his hair out a tad, to just about twice the length it had been earlier, and it had been styled into a quite messy style. Lisa had provided a headband to keep his bangs out of his eyes **(AN 1)** , and a matching a choker. Lisa had also provided good running-shoes, and a wristband for each of his arms. His robe had been replaced by baggy pants with ties at the end of each pant-leg, and a tank-top under a sleeveless zipper-up hoodie. In addition, he had seen the sketches Lisa had made for his 'battle-outfit' **(AN 2)** , which had him looking like some sort of Medieval Assassin, with a large dagger holstered by his hip.

Ernest had told Lisa that he viewed Tatsumi as his role model, so it wasn't all that surprising that his new style had elements similar to hers; and, honestly, he had loved the new style. The problem was that he came from a very political family that was very neat and proper, and this new style would likely make him somewhat of a grey sheep of the family, at least to the public. Ernest had previously behaved and dressed as he believed was expected of him, whenever he was with his family or in public, but, in private, he was a lot more laid-back and casual; he was always smiling and was able to light the moods of everyone around him, just be being a bit goofy and, since becoming a member of the Shadow's Court, he had increasingly allowed himself to be more true to himself.

"You know, that kind of suits you." A female voice said bringing Ernest out of his thoughts and his eyes away from the mirror.

Standing next to him was Elisabeth **(AN 3)** , his older, Squib sister. Elisabeth shared her brother's coloring and had long hair in a braid that hung over her shoulder and down her chest. She was also dressed in a Mundane business suit. She, along with their parents, had been invited over to discuss a potential alliance with the Kurosaki's, as their father was a prominent 'Equal Rights' kind of man, and was determined to fulfill his daughter's dream of being the first Squib to hold a seat in the Wizengamot. Elisabeth was determined to take her father's place when he retired, and was already well-versed in politics as her father's apprentice/secretary. She was quite a bit older than Ernest, having already graduated from a special High School and College in America that primarily teaches Squibs, providing both mundane subjects and magical subjects that don't require active magic. She had graduated the High School as Valedictorian, the highest ranking student of that school, yet her achievements wouldn't get her _anywhere_ in Europe, not unless the current Wizarding Society changed significantly. Ernest had planned on being there for the meeting, but then the girls had dragged him off for the make-over.

"You don't think it's too drastic?" Ernest asked her.

"Well, it's definitely night-and-day from earlier, but I can't say I'm surprised." Elisabeth said smiling teasingly. "You're not as good of an actor as you think you are, little monkey; we've noticed how uncomfortable you look when you think we're not looking."

"So." Ernest started. "Mother and Father won't mind?"

Elisabeth smiled. "They'll probably want to know what gave you the confidence to finally be yourself, but, no, they won't mind." She said patting him on the shoulder. "We love you, Ernie, no matter what you decide to do with your life. As long as you're happy."

Ernest smiled in relief. "Thanks, Sis." He said and the two decided to head down to see their parents.

Elisabeth smiled. Her brother didn't know it, but she had seen the change in him since he started Hogwarts. Their father had trained them equally in politics and in their family-history, but, though she had studied diligently, she had never taken her father's teachings all that seriously. She was a Squib, after all, what could _she_ do? When their father had sent her to America, she had resigned herself to a life overseas, as the best she could hope for in Europe was a Muggle – or 'Civilian' as she had heard her brother saying – job. There was no way she would get work in the wizard-world unless she stayed in America. Then, her brother had confided in her how much he disliked politics. He understood the need for it, and understood the importance of their father's teachings, but he had no desire to spend his life working with it.

The epiphany of that moment had sparked a new dream within her. The Wizard-world was never going to change unless _someone_ changed it. Elisabeth had already been taking the classes she needed to go into wizarding politics in America, so she thought 'why not be the one to spearhead the change in Europe'? She had then talked to her father, and she still remembered the pride in his eyes when she told him about her new goal; Elisabeth Macmillan was no longer considering her lack of magic as a burden, she would not lay down and resign herself to the fate of all other Squibs before her; she was going to fight for her right to stay, her right to live and make a living in the world where she was born and raised. She was going to change the world, and she was grateful to her brother for unknowingly giving her the idea.

 ** _¤Why can't you do it? There are already women with seats in the Wizengamot, so why can't you be the one to inherit dad's seat? You don't need magic to talk, and that's basically all the Wizengamot does; talk! Why can't people realize that you don't need a wizard to do something that doesn't even require magic? Any idiot should know that! Our world is stupid.¤_**

That's what his had letter had said, though Elisabeth didn't think Ernest even remembered that now. Still, her brother hadn't changed much; he still believed their world was stupid, and, now, he was going to work towards changing it; just like Elisabeth had decided a few years ago, though _his_ approach was quite different. Ernest had already 'come clean' to her about his wish to move to Earthland when the war was over. Ernest had fallen in love with the stories shared by Tatsumi and the other Allstars, and he really liked the idea of dedicating his life to help people in such a way. However, that also meant that he would have to leave his heirship to someone who could continue the Army's work in his place. He wanted Elisabeth to do this for him, but that meant that certain things _had_ to be changed _long_ before he leaves. First of all being that Squibs must be allowed to, at least, hold a proxy-position in place of an Heir or Lord/Lady, something that's impossible at this point in time.

Elisabeth had been recruited for the Final Court after Ernest had talked to her, and she had been allowed to watch the Courts training, if she had the time. She had seen how Ernest was becoming a fast and acrobatic fighter, and, like most of the Court-members, she was already teasing him by calling him 'monkey', but, fact was, only Tatsumi and Angelina could keep up with him anymore, at least when it came to hand-to-hand. Once weapons and special abilities were allowed, the training-grounds were a much more even playing-field, though Ernest was quickly becoming a very important team-based player.

As it is, the Macmillan's and the Dunbar's were allied because they shared a common Quincy ancestor, and every once in a while one or more member of the two families would develop spiritual powers. While being tested by Uryuu, Ernest had discovered a special ability that allowed him to gather, control, and even delegate Mana – a natural mixture of magic and Reishi – to teammates who were running low on energy, or even steal it from his enemies. This combination of skills allowed Ernest to fight both on the frontline and the backline, and allowed him to switch between the two as the situation called for it. He was also proving to be a good leader, as was seen when their training called for the squads to compete against each other. In fact, his teammates had named him as the Commander of their Squad, with Tracy as 'Second-in-command', and Fay as their 'Third Seat'.

Elisabeth was so proud of him, and maybe a little bit jealous; as a little girl, she had, like a lot of other little girls, wanted to be a ballerina, but she had been diagnosed with a life-lasting case of ' **Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)' (AN 4), due to a traumatic birth, which made physical fighting near impossible for her. It wasn't too bad, and could be managed by medication, but she had to avoid fast and sudden movements if she wanted to avoid getting vertigo. Though, nowadays, she only had an episode when she was startled by something.** Ernest had no such limitations, however; their parents had been near paranoid when their mother was pregnant with him. Elisabeth's birth had been traumatic for all of them, but that also meant that their parents were quite overprotective of their children, and, if they knew of the intense training Ernest was under, and the stunts he tends to pull, they would likely panic. As far as their parents knew, Ernest was under a healthy, but _light_ training schedule with his friends, and they were careful to heal any minor injuries sustained during his training. He also practiced strategy with Elisabeth and Luna, and practiced Uryuu's teaching with Fay. In fact, he spent so much time with Fay that their parents had taken notice, and were in the process of discussing a possible betrothal when Ernest and Elisabeth caught up to them.

 **o0o**

 _Tracy_

 _(Takes place a few weeks after the Boggart Incident)_

Tracy sat on her bed. It was late at night, and Oscar was curled up at the foot of her bed, though he was currently the size of a small dog, or large cat, thanks to a magical collar that Kisuke had made for him, complete with in-built size-manipulating charms that could be activated and deactivated at will. Tracy picked up the sketch Lisa had given her and looked at it. People had always complimented her on her looks, describing her as very cute and attractive. Her once long black hair had been cut short and rounded into a bob-cut. Otherwise she had brown eyes, and was also a bit tall for her age. The battle-outfit that Lisa had designed for her consisted of an elegant, black, fitted, coat with silver rims and long sleeves. She also had an elegant, black, thigh-length skirt and knee-length black, high-heeled boots **(AN 5)**.

Tracy blushed, not for the first time after seeing the sketch, and pushed her hair behind her ear. She was a quiet girl outside the Courts, but, though she was also very confident, she had never considered herself as anything special, whether it be her looks or her grades. She was the kind of girl who felt comfortable in her school-uniform, and often wore similar clothing during her free time. Daphne had luckily left her clothing alone during the make-over, though she did add some jewelry. In addition, all the girls in the Courts had started to dwell into the area of make-up this summer, but they were threading slowly and carefully as they didn't want to end up looking like dolled-up, painted mannequins, unlike some of the older girls they had seen around school.

Tracy had also been one of a few Court-member who had lived at Potter Manor in the last few weeks before the school-year started. This was mostly because she'd had a period of nightly nightmares, and she because she had, honestly, never felt quite at home with her family; feeling as if a part of her was missing, and always feeling scrutinized by her parents. Tracy had learned to ignore it, but her reoccurring nightmare would always remind her, as her parents always seemed to be _searching_ for something when they realized she'd had a nightmare, though they refused the tell her what they were looking for, so she stopped asking.

Now, after the Boggart incident, she knew why.

Tracy and a group of others had gone to Gringotts, hoping to explain, or expand on the results from the tests Kisuke took. Tracy now knew that she was descendant of a very spiritually powerful wizard, and that her family had retained that spiritual power. However, generations ago, it was decided that their spiritual gifts were to be locked away, because their family was being ostracized. Those who unlocked their gifts were seen as 'Black Sheep' of the family, and Tracy's uncle had been one of them. Tracy now knew that she had witnessed her uncle's death as a small child, and that's what her nightmares were about. Tracy also suspected that Oscar, who had bonded with her as a familiar, was, in fact, her deceased uncle. Oscar had only evolved to an Adjucas a few years ago, and, from the moment he laid eyes on Tracy, he had felt compelled to protect her, to be by her side, and he had followed her around like a love-sick puppy since. She hasn't had a nightmare since he came into her life either, and she felt safe with him sleeping at the end of her bed.

Since unlocking her spiritual power, Tracy was also prone to lose control of that power, because she wasn't able to use all that energy before it built up to high, and potentially dangerous, levels. Oscar was always quick to calm her down though, and remind her that she needed to do some of the exercised that Tatsumi had written up for her. Tracy would be training with Tatsumi, and several Shinigami who would be stopping by from time to time, in order to learn how to handle the massive amount of spiritual energy she now had. Tracy was also the first of her family to gain access to her Ancestor's personal vault, which had been locked after the death of her ancestor's grandchild. Inside was a human-made version of a Zanpakuto; a 'Soul-weapon'. These objects were only heard of in wizarding-legends, rumored to contain the very souls of their wielder's ancestors; a weapon that grew stronger for every time it was passed down to the next generation. The lock on the vault-door had been tied to the weapons power, and only a person who was powerful enough to wield it could open the vault. That's why it took so long for it to be discovered.

Soul Society had allowed her to keep the weapon, as long as she received proper training, but there was one big problem; Tracy was frightened of her powers, and the nature of her new Soul-weapon, though she tried to endure it. Because of this, Tatsumi introduced her to Shuhei Hisagi, and Tracy learned that they had a lot in common. Like Tracy, Shuhei did not like the appearance of his Zanpakutō, stating that as its released state looks as if it was made to 'reap life itself', a thought Tracy shared regarding her own weapon; a long, black scythe that looked as if it belonged to the Grim Reaper himself. Shuhei feared his sword's power, because, to him, it is something of a sign of respect, and battling for justice was a testament to the true strength of one's character. During her time with him, Tracy came to respect her power rather than fearing it, though she kept Shuhei's words in mind. She learned that, no matter how dark and violent her powers were, it was her to use as she pleased. _She_ was in control, _she_ decided what she wanted to do with her power, and, unlike Shuhei, she didn't have a Zanpakutō-spirit arguing in her ear, and complaining about its wielder not being violent enough.

In the following training-sessions, Tatsumi would always start by asking her what she wanted to do with her gift, and, over time, Tracy's resolve grew stronger;

She wanted to protect.

No matter how disgusted people where with her power; no matter what her parents thought of her for unlocking her gift; no matter what the consequences; she would use her power to protect her loved ones, to protect those who were weak, to protect all those who rejected her. That was her resolve, and, for as long as her loved ones stood by her side, that resolve would never waver.

 **o0o**

 _Fay_

 _(First part takes place shortly after Ernest's segment above, while second part takes place early October)_

Fay was sitting on the window seat in her bedroom, looking over the garden and, more specifically, the trees bordering the pond. The homework she had been editing lay forgotten on the seat. Fay was a dark-brunette with green eyes and now wore a special pair of glasses that Kisuke had made for her. Being extremely longsighted, Fay had always believed that only nearsighted people could wear glasses – don't ask her why – so she had never told her parents when her eyesight changed. These new glasses allowed her eyes to rest, where she had previously struggled with her reading. Her hair was pulled into a long round-braid, bound with light-colored leather, and she wore her bangs like her favorite SAO-character's Alfheim-avatar. Lisa had made her a copy of Sinon's hair-accessories, again made out of light-colored leather, and the sketches of Fay's battle-outfit was a near copy of the outfit worn by Sinon's Alfheim avatar, except it was in red and gold colors. Fay was a proud Gryffindor, after all.

Currently, Fay was wearing some of the clothes that Daphne had bought for her; blue jeans, high-heeled boots with thick and sturdy heels, and a maroon, one-sleeved sweater. She was watching a particular tree nervously. A few days ago, she had noticed an Ariel **(AN 6)** building a nest in a tree standing in clear view of her window, and she had watched in excitement since. Ariels were very rare as their eggs were considered a delicacy by a number of creatures. However, Victoria, as Fay had silently called the Ariel, had been gone for longer than usual today, and Fay was beginning to worry. She was thinking of going over to the nest, but didn't dare in case Victoria was close by; she didn't want to scare her away from her eggs.

Sighing, Fay pulled her homework over and tried to focus on finishing it. She usually finished her homework early in the summer, but always went back towards the end of the break to look everything over and edit any mistakes, and maybe add a few details. Once finally done, she looked over at the nest and still didn't see any change. She packed up her homework and headed outside into the garden, to a nearby area she had designated as an archery training area. As a full-fledged Quincy, she practiced Uryuu's teachings every day, and, with her glasses off, she could still keep an eye on the nest while she practiced. However, half an hour later, Fay turned to look towards the nest only to find an unwelcome visitor with its head in the nest. Panicking, Fay pointed her Heilig Bogen at the creature and fired an arrow. She hit, but as the creature was thrown off the branch, the nest tipped over and fell.

"NO!" Fay screamed and dismissed her bow.

Using Hirenkyaku, the Quincy equivalent to Shunpo, she dived towards the nest and grabbed it, cradling it to her chest, and twisting her body before hitting the ground, trying to shield the eggs as much as possible as she skidded to a halt. She didn't yet have enough control over her abilities to stop in a gentler manner, and her heart stopped in terror as she felt something wet seeping through her sweater. She sat up shaking, ignoring the pain in her shoulder, as she loosened her grip on the nest and looked down. There had been five eggs in total, one was crushed, most likely by the impact, and another was missing all together, leaving three remaining. Fay sobbed, but was relieved that most of the eggs had made it. She also noticed that the nest was getting cold, indicating that the protective magic left behind by the mother had broken, which explained how a predator had managed to access the nest. Victoria had either died or abandoned her nest in order for that to happen.

Fay got up and carefully carried the nest inside. She then asked one of the house-elves to buy an incubator-box **(AN 7)** , a small box with in-built heating-spells used to incubate eggs, hoping that the remaining three eggs would be viable for hatching. When the house-elf returned with the box, Fay asked her to tell her father to come to her room and bring a healing ointment for the scratch on her shoulder. Meanwhile, Fay pulled off her sweater, replacing it with a tank-top and an off-the-shoulders sweater before sitting down on her bed, settling the nest into the box while she waited for her father. Shortly after she closed the lid, and activated the incubating spells, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in." Fay said.

The door opened and Fay saw both her parents enter the room, assuming that her mother must have been there when the elf appeared.

"Did you hurt yourself, honey?" Lady Dunbar asked. They could both tell their daughter was upset.

"It's just a scrape, mother." Fay said honestly, but showed her the wound anyway.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Lord Dunbar asked as his wife started applying the ointment to their daughter's shoulder. He eyed the box in Fay's lap, but couldn't quite place it.

"Did you know we had an Ariel-nest in the garden?" Fay asked curiously.

"I did." Lord Dunbar said now realizing what the box was. "Did something happen?"

Fay nodded sadly. "I think the mother died." She said. "I saw a predator attacking the nest while I was practicing my Quincy-powers and I kind of panicked. I shot the beast with an arrow, but the force of the impact caused the nest to fall as well. I used Hirenkyaku to try and catch it before it hit the ground, but, well, I haven't really learned how to stop yet so…"

Lord Dunbar nodded. "Did the eggs make it?" He asked sitting down on the bed.

"Not all of them." Fay said holding back a sob. "One was eaten and another was crushed when I hit the ground." Fay sniffed and had to dry her eyes; she had gotten quite attached to the nest. "There are just three left, but they were already getting cold, so I don't know if they'll even hatch. I put heating charms on them as soon as I could, but I don't know if it was fast enough. I know the incubator is expensive, but I had to try! You can take it out of my allowance, if you want."

Fay's parents both smiled and shook their heads. "I think your mother and I can agree that this is quite an acceptable exception, honey." Lord Dunbar said fondly and pulled his daughter into a hug.

"You did your best, sweetheart." Lady Dunbar agreed. "Now all we can do is wait and see if the eggs hatch."

Fay sniffed again and nodded.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

 _(October 2nd)_

The Courts had spent the entire month of September mastering the Wing Spell. The spell was a masterpiece, and both Hermione and Lisa had been invaluable in its making, though Tatsumi had been the one to put it all together into a functioning spell. When everyone could keep themselves in the air for at least ten minutes, Tatsumi then revealed to the Courts that the wings had a second function; wallrunning. It required a slightly different technique then 'Flight', and was somewhat more difficult as it required the user to temporarily redirect their own gravitational pull. Both Flight and 'Wallrun' had stamina-requirements, and as such only lasted for as long as the user could hold the spell, and there was a number of other factors that came into play as well. One example being that the user's weight had a significantly bigger impact on their performance of the Wallrun. Smaller and lighter people, like Ernest, could theoretically run longer and faster than the heavier ones, like Oliver and Adrian, who were both growing into big, strong men. Then there was the drag to worry about. In short, the user's stamina determined how long they could use the spell before tiring, but wallrunning also required more energy to maintain than Flight, and therefore only lasted a short amount of time anyway.

Fay, Ernest, and Angelina had a bit of a head start due to their additional training with Uryuu and Yoruichi respectively, as these three were in the process of learning how to use environmental Reishi, which could also be used to get your feet to stick to the wall, though that didn't stop them from falling off due to inexperience. Luckily, it was easy to save oneself by activating Flight. Wallrunning, like Flight, could only be used when the wings were active, which was why Tatsumi wanted them all to master Flight first. Even with the cushioning of the floor, a fall could still hurt, and activating Flight was an easier alternative. Especially since no one was able to get the Wallrun down on the first two tries; not even Draco, Juvia, and Hermione, who had also decided to learn the spell, if only because it was so useful. Tatsumi even had Lisa design a unique wing-design for each of the Allstars, just for the fun of it **(AN 8)**.

Fay was just about to succeed on her third attempt at crossing the wall they had designated for the Wallrun practice, when a female House elf suddenly popped into the room. "Young Mistress!" The elf called a little more excited than she should've been. "Eggs be hatching! Eggs be hatching!"

Fay faltered in surprise, but caught herself and quickly flew over to the House elf, who then transported them both out of the room. Fay had given the elf, who was a one of the Dunbar-elves, whom Fay had chosen to watch over the Ariel eggs, to interrupt anything if the eggs were hatching, and she had given the Courts fair warning that the elf might pop in at any time. The Courts, in the meantime, continued their practice, while Fay was brought to another unused room in the castle where her eggs were waiting for her. The House elf popped away, leaving her alone, and Fay opened her incubator to see two of the three eggs had large cracks where the Ariel inside was pushing through the shell. She wanted to help, but knew it wasn't necessary. All the books she had read waiting for this moment all said that the reason Ariel eggs took so long to hatch in captivity, was due to the fact that they emerge from the eggs fully developed. In the wild, however, the mother's magic would speed up that process.

It took a few hours, but in the end all three eggs hatched, and Fay was officially declared to be their 'Momma'. Fay, in turn, named the Ariels Aviana, Sarah, and Cleo, in order of oldest to youngest. They all had green feathers like their mother, though in different shades, and Fay could already tell that Aviana was the slightly bossy and girly one, while Sarah was a fearless tomboy, and Cleo was the gentle and shy one. One example of this was how Sarah flew ahead in excitements when Fay decided it was time to return to the dorm, and was chased by Aviana, who was quick to remind her sister that she didn't even know the way, and that she was an idiot for flying off like that. Meanwhile, Cleo clung to Fay's shoulder so she wouldn't get lost. Then, when they reached the Gryffindor Common room, Sarah eagerly flew around and said 'hi' to everyone, while Aviana sighed and shook her head before apologizing for her sister's rudeness, and then politely introducing herself. Cleo never left Fay's shoulder, though she too was curious, and waited until Fay's friends came to her instead.

Later that evening, Sarah dumped a glass of pumpkin juice over Ginny's head at dinner. Apparently the girl wasn't much of a creature fan, and had told Fay to leave her 'feathered pests' back at the dorm. Ron then retaliated by grabbing Sarah, only to be painfully scratched by Aviana's talons, followed by receiving a divination-book to the head curtesy of animal-loving Lavender.

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 _Hey Guys, you've probably noticed that 'Year 3' is moving along at a much slower pace than the two previous 'Years', but that's mostly because there's a lot of things happening this 'year' and I really want certain things out before a certain 'time', due to what I have planned. I'm also working on the other Character Interludes, though I might honestly change a few of the 'short stories' at a later point in time._

 _Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I do have reasons for the slower pace, and I'm sorry if I things get a bit boring compared to the previous chapters. I hope things will pick up soon, but, like I said, there are a lot to do this 'year', so I hope you don't mind._

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** Ernest is based off of Aram from _'Chain Chronicle: The Light of Haecceitas'_ , a short anime based of a mobile game.

 **2)** All battle-outfits are still only sketches; they haven't actually been made yet.

 **3)** Elisabeth is an OC, but will only have a small role in the story after this.

 **4) **Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)** **or positional vertigo:**** A brief, intense episode of vertigo triggered by a specific change in the position of the head. You might feel as if you're spinning when you bend down to look under something, tilt your head to look up or over your shoulder, or roll over in bed. BPPV occurs when loose otoconia tumble into one of the semicircular canals and affect how the cupula works. This keeps the cupula from flexing properly, sending incorrect information about your head's position to your brain, and causing vertigo. BPPV can result from a head injury, or can develop just from getting older. (Source: www. nidcd. / health/ balance-disorders – remove spaces)

 **5)** Tracy is mostly based off of Seira J. Loyard from _'Noblesse_ ', at least power-wise. Her battle-outfit is basically the outfit Seira wore in her battle against _Rozaria Elenor_ , but is silver where Seira's is gold.

 **6)** 'Ariel' is the name of a Magical Creature from _'Ancient Magus Bride / Mahoutsukai no Yome'_ ; it's a small harpy-like creature.

 **7)** Fay wouldn't have access to a Heat-lamp, so I made up an alternative.

 **8)** All Court-members' wings are based off of the canon appearance for the respective races.

Also, I realize that a different wing-design for everyone would require different combinations of runes for every design, but I'm thinking that, since a large part of the spell-base is from Solid Runescript, that every squad simply memorized a unique version of this particular spell.

Also, bear in mind that the Allstars, especially Tatsumi, are playing major roles in creating the new Fairy Magic, so it's natural for them to know this magic, though they might not have much use for it aside from the Wing Spell, which is very useful to know. Even Tatsumi, who now has access to her demon-wings, or can just make new ones with her Metamorphmagi, might have use for the Wallrun-ability.


	29. Chapter 23,5 - Interlude 5

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 ** _Interlude 5 – Second Squad: Gnome (three short stories)_**

 _Neville_

 _(Takes place sometime after the Hippogryff-incident.)_

He was in detention. For the first time ever, shy, clumsy, forgetful Neville Longbottom was in detention; and he didn't regret it one bit. He was glad that he was spending his detention in the greenhouses with Professor Sprout, but he could do without the disappointed look she was giving him. She may be his favorite teacher, but she was still as clueless as the other teachers regarding the bullying that was still going on right in front of their noses. The Slytherins were much better after Snape stopped encouraging all the pureblood bigotry, but people like Cho Chang – or Choo Choo, as Tatsumi called her – were still not getting the message that her behavior was not going to be tolerated. At least not by the students.

"You've never been in detention before." Professor Sprout said. She obviously wanted to know why her favorite student causing trouble. "I hear you started a fight."

"And I've still not _started_ one." Neville told her. "Unlike you teachers, we students take notice when someone's being bullied and Chang is a repeat offender. She not only verbally abuses Luna, but steals her belongings as well. Luna knows every anti-theft spell we can get our hands on, for a _reason_ , but still Chang somehow manages to take something. The house-elves help bring the stolen items back, but Chang seems to be under the impression that her behavior is perfectly acceptable because she keeps getting away with it; unless one of _us_ catches her. I hexed Chang because I caught her ranting abuse at Luna and calling her names; the bitch even took a jab at Luna's deceased mother. Luna is too _gentle_ to fight back, but I will not stand and watch as Chang mocks a _dead_ woman to her daughter's face. I don't regret standing up for my friend."

"Have you talked to Professor Flitwick about the matter?" Sprout asked taken a bit aback at Neville's seemingly out of character attitude.

"Of course we have!" Neville insisted. "But, he can't do anything unless he or one of the staff or prefects catches her in the act. Flitwick wants us to report any incidents, but that doesn't help because the evidence is nonexistent unless it happens right in front of a portrait… and most of the time those portraits don't even pay attention."

"I'm sure if you allowed us to investigate…" Sprout started, but was interrupted by Neville.

"Investigate?!" He snapped. "You people just take the word of the first person who speaks to you and don't give the other part a chance to speak their side of the story; how do you think _I_ got detention while Chang didn't even get any points taken? McGonagall just shewed me out and walked off without even asking me _why_ I hexed Chang in the first place. I mean, yeah, I _deserved_ to get detention for hexing another student, but it's not fair for Chang to get off scot-free, and, if you 'teachers' won't punish her, then _we_ will."

He neglected to tell Sprout that, while Chang had looked smug as McGonagall yelled at him, the girl had quickly lost her smirk when Susan's wand was pointed right up under her nose. Though gentle, Luna had been appointed Lieutenant of the Raven's Court, and Susan wasn't going to let Chang get away with tormenting her fellow lieutenants – which included Neville as he was the 'Reserve' Lieutenant of the Dragon's Court, whom would take over when the twins where unable to tend to their duties, as well as after they graduated. As it was, Neville was ranked as the twins' Second in Command, while Hannah was the same for Susan, Terry for Luna, and Theo for Daphne, who had been appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Court.

 **o000o**

When he was let out of his detention, Neville headed straight for the RoR. Though still a bit shy, Neville had taken a liking to the idea of becoming a Knight, and had also taken a liking to a particular fight-style that belonged to a character named 'Heathcliff' from SAO, and was working on replicating it. Lisa's sketches were based of Heathcliff's armor-set as well, giving Neville a similarly designed armor, only in earthlier colors to match his green thumb. Neville was also receiving lessons from his parents, who had extended the offer of training to the rest of the Courts, though their focus was on their son, especially with his promotion to 'Commander of the Second Squad of Oberon's Army'; a title he took very seriously, especially since he had always considered himself to be weak, still did actually, so he was always training when he had the time.

After changing into his training-clothes, and warming up, followed by doing his physical exercises, Neville asked the RoR to provide a shield and a sword along with several training-dummies that Aurors used. The Courts had smuggled those into the castle and hidden them in this room. Then he would practice, focusing on channeling his magic into his equipment, and focusing on getting his techniques down. He practiced using his sword as a defense, and using his shield as a weapon, and practiced switching between offence and defense using both. He didn't stop until he could no longer hold his sword up straight, and sweat ran down his face while his hair stuck to his skin. Lisa and Daphne both wanted him to grow his hair out, and he had agreed to try it out for a while, letting them magically grow his hair out to about shoulder-length, but the longer he had his hair that way the more irritated he got. His hair was fine when held back in a low ponytail, but he did not like it lose, or wet for that matter, and, if it wasn't for the fact that Hannah and his mother both loved his hair like this, he would've cut it short already.

Thinking about Hannah brought a blush to his face. He had been told, by his father, that his parents had been talking with the Abbot's about a Betrothal Contract **(AN 1)** , before they'd been cursed. They had since decided to bring up the contract again, but ultimately decided that they wanted it to be Neville and Hannah's decision. The two had talked about it, and they both knew they were fond of each other, so they decided to try it. When they were both of age, they could then choose either to break off the betrothal or get married, without pressure from their families. Neville was also thankful that his grandmother had been unaware that the betrothal-negotiations were never completed, and she had therefore assumed Neville was betrothed. The Abbotts had never told the woman otherwise; they knew how horrid she was, and they could only imagine what kind of girl the old bat would've gotten a hold of, if she had known the truth. Neville was thankful for that.

 **o0o**

 _Millicent_

 _(Takes place sometime after the establishment of the Final Court, but before September 1st)_

Millicent was sitting next to Lisa who was busy sketching her. Millicent had started out as a _big_ girl, from an equally big family, though she had lost a significant amount of weight over the year thanks to her training and improved diet. She was also gaining a fair bit of muscle-mass, and was proving to be very physically strong. In fact, give her a club or a hammer she was pretty much unstoppable. Lisa had already decided to base the girl around a 'two-handed hammer'-type weapon, which in turn was inspired by how Thor's Hammer was portrayed in Alfheim. 'Mjölnir' was going to be Millicent's primary weapon, and Lisa was playing with the idea of making Millicent a battle-outfit that made her look like a Black Valkyrie, though the design wasn't finalized yet. Millicent herself wasn't quite sold on the idea either; she wasn't too opposed to the current design, but she was worried that a helmet would limit her field of view, and she did _not_ want a cape of any sort.

Millicent had also recently been at the mercy of Daphne, who has turned her long, black hair into a styled pixie cut with long side-swept bangs and a few silver highlights. She had also dressed Millicent in a lot of dark colors, including vivid dark, red lipstick and dark-colored clothing. Millicent was currently wearing a black choker and a gothic, black tunic under a black leather jacket, with dark, ripped jeans and black boots as well as matching accessories. Millicent had been horrified at the outfit at first, but she had to admit that she was beginning to feel really good wearing it. She was beginning to feel powerful and her inner confidence was beginning to rear its head, making her blush at times when her inner confidence would speak its mind and it would take her a few seconds to realize what she had just said. The others were delighted for her though, as they watched a shy, quiet wallflower blooming into a confident, snarky, and sarcastic girl, full of smiles.

Like many other members of the Courts, Millicent had taken a preference to Mundane clothing when introduced to them, but she was forced to leave those clothes at Potter Manor when returning home. Millicent's parents had been a bit… difficult; they were sympathizers of the Dark Lord's cause, but were too cowardly and lazy to join the Death Eaters. Her parents were also convinced that being highly overweight was a sign of wealth and comfort; and being skinny was therefore a sign that the family either didn't have enough money to feed themselves, or were forced to work hard to maintain their monetary assets. Needless to say they weren't too happy with their daughter, and allying herself with the Girl-Who-Lived was clearly going against her family. Millicent had just rolled her eyes at them though, saying they were too stubborn and lazy to do their 'homework' and mistakenly believed that Tatsumi was Dumbledore's little Golden Girl. She had tried to talk to them, but was told that her parents 'knew best' and she was to listen to them.

Prior to joining the Royal Court, Millicent had very few friends, and had pretty much resigned herself to a desk-job somewhere. Her father wanted her to be a comfortable housewife, but she was well aware that she hadn't exactly been a piece of 'eye-candy', and would likely end up marrying an equally ugly man. Her father kept pointing her towards Crabbe and Goyle, but Millicent argued that her future husband would _not_ be dumber than a bread box, in fact, if she couldn't have a good-looking husband, she'd _at least_ make sure he was _intelligent_. Her father had relented as neither Crabbe or Goyle would be able to provide his daughter with the _comfortable_ life he wanted for her, but that didn't stop him from pushing her towards other men of similar looks.

Millicent has since learned to ignore both her parents, and just do her own thing, and, in addition to losing a lot of weight, she was beginning to catch a few eyes. Though most of them were from female students wanting to know how she had _lost_ all that weight, and Millicent had noticed that a lot of girls at Hogwarts were on the verge of starving themselves, and she realized _why_ they were doing so. It had started her thinking, and she was now contemplating becoming to be a teacher; a P.E. teacher to be more precise. She had approached Alicia with an idea to write a book on physical health as well, and had talked to Percy, and several of her friends' parents whom held seats on the school board, about creating the first ever P.E. classes in British wizarding history. The feedback had been positive, seeing as the parents had all seen with their own eyes how their kids had benefited from it.

Frank and Alice Longbottom had been the most eager about the introduction of physical education; as Aurors they knew how important it was to be physically fit in their profession, and Susan knew her Aunt would be thrilled about it as well. The Auror department spent a lot of money training new Aurors, and adding such a class to Hogwarts could mean that the money spent for physical training could be reduced significantly, which in turn would allow for that money to be used somewhere it was sorely needed. Hearing this encouraged Millicent, and had started asking around for someone who could potentially teach a P.E. class if their plans for next year fell into place. So far, Alice, and a few other Aurors, who had been forced to retire early due to injuries, had shown interest in the job, and had been sworn to secrecy as to not alert Dumbledore, Fudge, or someone who would notify one of them of their plans.

Then, when Millicent mentioned that she wanted to try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team, seeing as both their previous beaters had graduated, she was met with more positive responses from her friends, though, again, her parents weren't too thrilled. Draco had encouraged her to try out though, telling her she'd be an excellent captain or coach, which had caused her to blush. She may be the 'Third Seat' of her squad, but that was only because the other two just happened to be stronger, not because she lacked the ability to hold a position of command. Getting on the team might give her an opportunity to shine, and maybe an opportunity to see how she'd fair as a physical instructor. Draco had already pretty much taken over the role of captain, unofficially, and had pretty much already given her the job as the new coach; all she had to do now was make sure she got on the team.

 **o0o**

 _Angelina_

 _(Takes place during the upcoming Christmas Break)_

Angelina was meditating. Her father's Dojo had entered a tournament to celebrate the New Year, but their champion had taken a serious injury in a previous round, and their 'reserve' hadn't bothered showing up, which had Angelina taking that spot. Her father had been surprised when she volunteered, as she had been waiting for the right time to inform him that she had changed her mind about not inheriting the Dojo. When asked why she changed her mind, she told him that her passion had been reignited after she joined the Dragon's Court, and part of the reason why she volunteered to take the 'reserve'-spot was to show him what she had learned. She had been a very eager student of the Dojo before she discovered Quidditch, but then she had changed interests. Though she hadn't dropped out of the Dojo, and continued her lessons during the school breaks, she hadn't been participating as eagerly as she once did, and she had stayed away from any tournaments.

She had lost interest in martial arts, partially, because she considered it a lonely sport, and she had enjoyed working in a team when she started playing Quidditch. Though competitive, she enjoyed being able to share both her victories and her losses with her teammates, something she had felt she couldn't do at the Dojo. Since joining the Dragon's Court, however, she has learned that you could have different fight-styles and talents yet still be a team-player. It was different to win something _for_ someone rather than _with_ someone, but the Courts had held one-on-one fight competitions in training, and she had to admit that there was a certain kind of thrill knowing that your personal match could decide whether or not your team won or lost.

Because of this, when Angelina was called into the ring, she didn't hold back. She may have only had a couple of months of training under Yoruichi, but she had also been sparring with Tatsumi, who had years of said training under her belt, so Angelina had already had picked up a few tricks and techniques. Discovering she had a high level of latent spiritual power also helped, especially since her spiritual abilities were all of augmenting nature. Though she'd never use those abilities against a normal human, she had the ability to augment her physical attributes when she needed it. Yoruichi had even speculated that, with proper training, and enough time, Angelina might one day be able to utilize something she had called 'Shunko', though Angelina wasn't quite sure what that was.

When asked, Tatsumi had described Shunko as a very powerful and extremely dangerous technique that would push her body to the very edge of its limit, and would cripple her, if not kill her, if she made a mistake. Learning augmentation – something Angelina would be learning anyway – was only the first step to learn this technique, but that also had its difficulties. Tatsumi had lost control once, and she was _lucky_ that she had been able to recover that control by using the experience she had with Dragon Force, and was therefore able to rein in her power before she caused any lasting damage to herself. Angelina would have no such aid, and, though the thought of losing control scared the shit out of her, she was determined to try. However, she was the only member of Oberon's Army to have this type of unarmed fight-style, hence her private training with Yoruichi, and she knew she would have to overcome many difficulties that came with her armed sparring-partners. Of course, it _did_ go both ways, as not many members of the Army were able to defeat her in unarmed combat, and Angelina was determined to keep it that way.

Angelina had worked hard to get where she was now, and had little problems defeating her opponents in the tournament. In the finals, however, she was up against the returning Champion, who had held that title for three years in a row. Though, in a moment of distraction, Angelina was more focused on how the girl kept her hair. Angelina had been experimenting with different hairstyles which would suit her chosen style of combat, without forcing her to cut her hair because it kept getting in the way or something. She _could_ keep her hair in a high ponytail like her mentor, but Angelina wasn't too keen on copying the woman any more than she already was. It was bad enough that Lisa had designed her battle-outfit after Yoruichi's Shunko-outifit **(AN 2)** , which consisted of a form-fitting, black, backless, sleeveless undershirt, and black stretch pants, though Lisa had added some armor in the form of gauntlets and greaves, which, should she succeed in making them, should allow Angelina to channel her energy through them.

Yoruichi had just found the whole thing amusing, much to Angelina's dismay, especially since Angelina kept 'discussing' ways to differentiate her outfit into something more personal. Her hair was a major source of discussion, as she didn't want her hair to become a distraction, or a weak point that her opponent could use to fight dirty. In the tournament, her final opponent had her hair pulled into a French braid which was then coiled and secured into a bun with hair sticks. However, while Angelina could see how those sticks could potentially be used as a weapon, she also knew that pulling the sticks out would cause the braid to start failing around. Now, Angelina's hair wasn't as long as her opponent's, so she didn't really have to worry about that, but she also didn't want to give, say a Death Eater, the opportunity to grab her hair to try and wrestle her into submission. She already had the Slytherin Chasers grabbing her braid during matches, when they thought Hooch or Draco weren't looking, and she didn't fancy it being repeated on the battle-field.

In the end, however, Angelina lost the final match, but had secured a well-deserved silver medal, and she could see her father smiling proudly at her from the stands as she received it. When she joined him and the other students of the Dojo, who had showed up to watch the tournament, she was instantly swarmed by the younger students, all under ten years of age, who wanted to see her medal and kept telling her how cool she was. It was actually a pretty wonderful feeling, and, honestly, if she hadn't already decided to inherit the Dojo, this moment might just have changed her mind anyway.

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Author's Notes:_**

 **1)** A Betrothal Contract is different from a Marriage Contract. The latter states that there _will_ be a marriage, hence _forcing_ two people together, while the former only states that there is _potential_ for marriage, and the contract _can_ be broken if even one of the two parties doesn't want to get married.

 **2)** Angelina's outfit is based after Yoruichi's outfit while using Shunko during her fight with Sui Feng during the Invasion arc (Bleach).


	30. Chapter 24 - The Fat Lady

**000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chosen Ones_**

 **000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000x000**

 ** _Chapter Twenty-Four – Attack on the Fat Lady_**

Music played from the small portable stereo that Tatsumi had set up in the common-room. With the lack of electricity, the set was powered by a crystal that absorbed ambient magical energy, and also stored the energy that it didn't use, acting very much like a self-refilling battery. It was basically a replication of a Lacrima, but using resources and magic from Earth to make it work. It was also one of many things they were planning on mass-producing when the time was right.

"How the hell did you get that thing to work?!" A fifth-year girl asked looking shocked.

"Magic, duh." Tatsumi answered from where she was reading on a couch. _"Took you long enough to notice."_ She thought. _"We've been bringing in stuff since Juvia's Discman in First Year."_

"But _no one_ has ever managed to get electronics to work with magic before!"

"Name _one_ person who's _tried_!" Tatsumi challenged.

"…"

"Didn't think so." Tatsumi said, then went back to her reading.

Things had been quiet over the past month, though DADA had quickly become the collective favorite class this year, and since the Boggarts, they had covered both Red Caps and Kappas. Care of Magical Creatures was also a popular subject, although Hagrid had toned it down a bit after that first class, presenting more year-appropriate creatures, with the odd 'treat' here and there. Tatsumi would also spend a lot of time with Hagrid to help with the animals. As for Divination the only one who seemed to really enjoy the class was Parvati and Lavender Brown, who kept visiting Professor Trelawney in her tower at every possible moment. Hell, Tatsumi hadn't even opened her book yet, and seemed to have dropped all interest in the subject. She was also busy with the translations of Salazar's work, and was practicing her Parselscript by using it whenever she could.

Then there was Quidditch-practice. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch-cup for seven years now, though they had been devastatingly close since Tatsumi joined the team, and this being Oliver's last year at Hogwarts, he was desperate to get the cup this year. He had set the team to practice three times a week, but, despite the worsening weather, the team was determined to make Oliver's dream come true. But, perhaps the most exciting thing to happen, was the announcement of the first Hogsmeade Weekend, and a large group of students were currently gathered at the Message-board.

"It's on Halloween." Fay said, her Ariels resting on her head and shoulders. "Hermione's going to flinch when she hears that."

"Why's that?" Sarah asked, she had turned out to be a bit of a sugar-addict.

"Her parents are both dentists." Fay said, then explained when she got a few weird looks. "They're a type of Healer that specializes in oral hygiene, more specifically your teeth. A lot of sugar is very bad for your teeth, because it makes teeny tiny holes in them."

"Oh." Aviana said. "Yeah, I get what you mean; people are bound to buy a lot of candy in Hogsmeade, and then there's the Halloween-feast later the same day. That's _a lot_ of candy."

Speaking of Hermione, the Ravenclaw just walked into the common room with Yoruichi right at her heels. "Tatsu, have you seen my Macaw-quill?" She asked. "I think I lost it between classes earlier."

"The one you got from Draco?" Tatsumi asked. "No, but I can check Kaito's stash; I haven't done that in a few days." She got up from the couch, and headed upstairs to her dorm-room.

Meanwhile, Hermione took a seat on the couch, and was joined by the Ariels, asking her to read them a story, and by Yoruichi, who jumped onto her lap with a freshly-caught spider dangling in her mouth.

"You keep that monster away from Scabbers, Granger!" Ron sneer at her from a nearby table where he was doing homework. "He's sleeping in my bag."

Yoruichi's response was to look him dead in the eye as she slowly chewed the spider, just to freak him out. The Ariels giggled as he turned green at the sight. Meanwhile, Hermione was wondering my Ron was even mentioning where the rat was sleeping, if he didn't want Yoruichi to go near him. Yoruichi, however, took it as a challenge, and kept starring at the bag, then adjusted her legs, signaling to Hermione that she was about to pounce. Then, she launched at Ron's bag, and sank her claws into it. Ron screamed and started violently shaking his bag, trying to get the cat off, but Yoruichi hung on, and hissed ferociously.

"GET OFF, YOU STUPID BEAST!" Ron yelled, swinging the bag like mad.

"Ron, be careful!" Hermione yelled getting up from the chair.

Everyone watched the spectacle, and suddenly Scabbers flew out of the bag. Absolutely terrified, the rat ran for its life, while Yoruichi took chase across the table, down on the floor, and through the legs of the onlookers. Scabbers finally ran under a dresser, where Yoruichi couldn't reach him, though not from lack of trying.

Ron and Hermione both ran to the dresser, and Hermione grabbed Yoruichi before Ron could kick her. Hermione instead kicked _him_. "Don't hurt my cat, Ronald!" She yelled at him.

"That monster almost killed Scabbers!" Ron yelled back, holding his aching shin.

"She's a cat, you idiot!" Hermione yelled. "She doesn't know Scabbers is a pet; chasing rats is what cats do!"

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but their argument was interrupted by Tatsumi. "Could you two please move." She said.

Everyone turned to her and saw she was carrying a stack of four boxes. Ron and Hermione got out of her way, and she walked over to a small table standing under the message-board. "Fay could you move the lamp?" She asked.

Fay did so and Tatsumi settled the stack on the table, before shifting her grip and lifting three of the boxes, which she then settled on the floor. She then took her 'Lost-and-Found'-posters and re-hung them over the box on the table.

"What are these?" Hermione asked walking closer with Yoruichi now draped over her shoulders.

"A little side-project I made." Tatsumi said, handing her a box as everyone gathered around her in curiosity. "They're vanishing-boxes, all linked together with a fifth box that acts as a storage. Just put your hand on the lid, and think about the item you've lost; if it's in the storage, it will appear when you open the lid, if not, the box remains empty."

Hermione did as told, and a small bell on the lock rang. She then opened the box to find her quill. "Cool." She said. "I'm guessing we can also add items we've found?"

"Yup!" Tatsumi said. "Just put it in the box and close the lid. I'll add everything Kaito's found after I sort it, so it's easier to return stuff to their rightful owners, since they're the only ones who knows exactly what they're missing."

"Not that this isn't awesome," Fay said. "but what was wrong with the old system?"

"You have no idea how many people have tried to trick me." Tatsumi said. "People think they can just pick an item off the list and claim to be the owner. I see it all the time with jewelry, and more fancy things, like Mione's quill. These boxes also have a variety of anti-theft spells on them, so only an item's real owner can actually remove the item from the box. Luna also suggested a spell that recognizes magical signatures, just to be safe."

Tatsumi had been talking to Luna after Choo Choo had managed to steal a decorative hairpin that Luna had inherited from her mother, and they had found it with a first-year Hufflepuff a few hours later. The girl had bought the hairpin for a galleon before seeing the item on the 'Lost and Found'-list in her Common room. The girl had then returned the hairpin, but had been very sad about it, since it was a very pretty pin, though she did lighten up when she realized how important it was to Luna. Luna, in turn, had decided to ask Lisa if she could make a new pin for the girl, before going to Tatsumi hoping to find a solution to her problem. They had talked about an anti-theft box that Luna could secure her most valuable belongings in, then the idea for the 'Lost-and-Found'-boxes had struck.

"Nice." Neville said impressed. "Now, everyone can get their items back from their own Common-rooms, rather than have to come all the way here and hope you're present."

"And it's the same if they find something." Fay added.

Tatsumi nodded. "Mind helping me get the boxes to the other Houses?" She asked.

"Sure." Hermione said.

"I'll help." Neville said. "I wanted to go see Hannah anyway."

"Didn't the twins give you a Vanishing Cabinet for your birthday?" Hermione asked as they left the common room. "Is that where you learned to make the boxes?"

"They did." Tatsumi confirmed. "I also compared it to the Vanishing Cabinet that Peeves damaged in Second year, because I thought I could use the one the twins gave me to fix the damaged one; turns out they're partners."

"Let me get this straight." Neville said shocked. "The Vanishing Cabinet that once stood on the first floor of the castle, is partnered with a cabinet the twins found in Borgin and Burkes, of all places?"

"Yeah." Tatsumi said nonchalantly.

Fay had turned pale. "If anyone other than one of us had found that…" She started, but wasn't able to finish that line of thought. "There are a lot of Death Eaters who visit that shop."

"Not to mention that Riddle could easily know about the cabinet at Hogwarts." Neville added. "And we know he used to work for Borgin, so he might already have figured out that the two cabinets are connected. He might have taken advantage of that, had we let him."

Tatsumi grinned at him. In the previous timelines, Voldemort had indeed used the cabinets to invade Hogwarts.

Hermione blinked as she remembered something. "Shouldn't we have left the cabinet at the shop then?" She asked, touching her ring with her thumb and switching to Japanese. "After all, it's how Dumbledore died, isn't it?"

Tatsumi touched the chain of her necklace. "No, he was already dying by that time, he just let it happen so he could die a hero." She said.

Hermione nodded. They then let go of their jewelry switched back to English and continued discussing the Vanishing Boxes. The Allstars had kept most of their knowledge of the future to themselves to avoid changing the timeline too much, and the Courts understood that, and trusted their leaders to tell them if they needed to know something, but only when that knowledge was relevant. Though, because the Courts were all learning Japanese, the Allstars had _anti_ -translation charms that they used to avoid anyone overhearing important conversations. Neville and Fay had also stayed quiet during the conversation in Japanese, as they knew the two were talking about something they couldn't discuss with the rest of the Courts just yet.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

Most students were excited for the trip to Hogsmeade, despite certain people trying to ruin the mood. Parkinson would spend the day in detention with Severus, and had been badmouthing the village for several days; saying how overrated the place was, and it wasn't at all that great. Everyone knew she was just jealous, however, as she would basically be the only third-year student left in the castle. Although, Lavender wasn't that thrilled either. On the 16th she had received a letter from home, telling her that her beloved pet rabbit had been killed by a fox. Lavender had blown the whole incident out of proportion thanks to Professor Trelawney, who had 'foretold' that 'what she feared the most would happen' would happen on that day. Her friends had suggested getting another rabbit during the Hogsmeade-trip, but it had only made her angry.

The Allstars were going to be chaperoned by Remus, for Tatsumi's 'safety', but were going to have tea in his office before leaving for Hogsmeade. For appearance sake, seeing as the staff were under the impression that Remus needed the Wolfbane Potion, the Allstars had stopped by Severus' office to pick up a 'potion' to bring the werewolf. In reality, it was nothing more than a beverage that Severus had designed to _look_ like the Wolfbane Potion. They had also picked up a list of things they needed to buy in the village, as the Courts were planning on celebrating Samhain according to the 'Old Ways'. Using the RoR would keep them hidden from Dumbledore and the staff, as they had already tested it out when they celebrated Mabon **(AN 1)** in September. Prior to this, the Courts had been invited to celebrate both Midsummer and Lammas together during the summer break, and it had sparked a desire to continue celebrate the Pagan Calendar, which had been banned by people like Dumbledore.

However, on their way to Remus' office, the group encountered Kaito, whose rear-end was sticking out of a vase for some reason. "What in the world have you found?" Tatsumi asked pulling her familiar out of the vase.

The Niffler was more interested in diving back in though, and clung onto the mouth of the vase, nearly tipping it over, until Tatsumi pulled him away and took a closer look inside. At first she didn't see anything, but then she felt an electric charge over her pupils, and her eyes automatically slit. At the bottom of the vase, she could now see a pitch black ring, that had the magical signature of a curse glowing around it, but, when she blinked, the glow disappeared and her eyesight returned to normal.

"Tatsu?"

Tatsumi blinked out of her stupor and shook her head. "Ok, _that's_ never happened before." She said.

"What happened?" Draco asked.

"There's a cursed ring at the bottom of this vase." Tatsumi started, handing Kaito over to Juvia. "But, for a moment, I could actually _see_ the curse."

"You could see it?" Hermione asked surprised. "Just for a moment? So it was temporary?"

"Yeah." Tatsumi said and reached into the vase.

The second her fingers touched the ring, she flinched as the curse tried, unsuccessfully, to take hold. "I'll have Remus send it to the DMLE." She said frowning at the nature of the curse as she pulled her arm out with her fist firmly clenched around the ring. "It's a right nasty one."

"What kind of curse is it?" Draco asked.

For a moment, she contemplated telling them, but decided against it. "I don't think you want to know." She said and started walking again.

She didn't miss the fact that, had Kaito touched the ring, he would've been killed, and the same was true for anyone else who might have eventually found the thing, had she left it. She also had many questions running through in her head. Everything from 'who made it' to 'how did it get inside the castle', and ending with questions on how she could prevent Kaito from getting hurt, should he ever encounter anything similar in the future. The fact that the thought had never crossed her mind was terrifying. His collar protected him from spells that were cast at him, but physical contact with cursed items would still affect him; she needed to find a way around that. Meanwhile, the others followed silently. They could see how tightly Tatsumi was clenching the ring, and they too realized just how close she had come to losing one of her familiars.

Arriving at Remus' office, they knocked on the door and were surprised by the hoarse, shaky voice that invited them inside. Entering the office, they found the werewolf pale, sweating, in shock, and possibly drunk.

"What's wrong?" Tatsumi asked alarmed at his state.

"I'm going to be a dad." Remus said still in shock; a letter handing limply in one hand.

That wasn't the response Tatsumi had expected, so it took a minute before his words sunk in. "Aunt Yuzu's pregnant?!" She yelled.

 **o000o**

After the shock had subsided, Remus ended up going home to Karakura to be with his wife, so Severus took over the role as chaperone. Tatsumi had also noticed that the professors seemed to watch her more than usual, hence the need for a chaperone, and, over the last few weeks, she had taken to change her appearance to get them off her back, like she had done to escape Lockhart the year before. Of course, it only worked because the staff was still unaware of her Metamorphmagi-abilities, nor did they expect her to _have_ such abilities, seeing as it was commonly known to be a part of the Black's Family Magic… even though it was a fairly known side-effect of the 'Guardian Rituals', that a Godchild could potentially inherit their Godparents' Family Magic.

Severus told them that the extra 'security' was because of Sirius, as even with the newspapers proclaiming Sirius' innocence, the general consensus was that the man had gone insane thanks to the prolonged exposure to the Dementors, and was, therefore, still a threat. In addition, many were still in the mindset that Sirius was a traitor, despite the newspapers, which Tatsumi suspected was Dumbledore's doing.

"Has Yoruichi mention anything to about Sirius lately?" Tatsumi asked.

Hermione nodded and answered lowly. "He's here." She said. "She told me he approached her in his Animagus Form, thinking she was a Kneazle. He asked her to try and get Pettigrew away from the students. She also said he plans to kill the rat."

"If he kills Pettigrew, he'll just go straight back to Azkaban for murder." Juvia said. "Especially with Dumbledore being Head of the Wizengamot."

"Maybe we should try and find a way to demote him." Tatsumi said frowning. "We can't do anything about his seats, but if we can get a new Head of the Wizengamot, it will be easier for us later on."

"Depending on who gets the job." Draco corrected. "But how do we get people so displeased with Dumbledore that we can have him removed?"

Tatsumi shrugged. "I'll figure something out." She said.

Hermione punched her arm. "You mean _we_ will figure something out. " She snapped. " _You're_ already doing too much. How many times are you reliving the day, anyway? "

Tatsumi rubbed her arm. "Between 2 and 4 depending on how carried away I get **(AN 2)**. " She said shrugging.

"4 times!?" Her friends yelled outraged.

"When do you sleep?!" Hermione demanded.

"On the third or fourth take, depending on how much sleep I have to catch up on." Tatsumi said putting her hands on her hips.

The other's blinked, they clearly hadn't expected that.

"You're using the time-turner to catch up on sleep?" Severus asked to clarify.

"I wouldn't have thought of that." Hermione admitted.

Tatsumi rolled her eyes. "I _do_ know how to take care of myself, you know. " She said slightly insulted. "Not to mention that I talked to Bill, who also had a Timeturner when he was a student, and he gave me plenty of advice based on his personal experiences."

"May I ask what are you using the Timeturner for?" Severus asked.

Tatsumi looked at him. "Aside from creating our new Fairy Magic and the Requip/Archive-hybrid Magic, I'm also translating Salazar Slytherin's journals, since their all in Parselscript." She said. "I'm actually almost done, so, hopefully, I don't have to use the 'turner as much after that."

Severus nodded.

Going about their day, the group went exploring, visiting as many shops and other places as possible. Hermione had enjoyed the post-office, where 200 owls sat on color-coded shelves that indicated how fast the owl could fly. But, the most popular shop in the village was, unsurprisingly, Honeyduke's, the candy-shop. Other popular shops were Zonko's, where the twins had stocked up on prank-items, and Dervish and Banges, where Ron had bought a Sneakoscope, which seemed to have malfunctioned as he couldn't get it to stop activating seemingly at random. Back at Hogwarts, you could clearly see the Sneakoscope lighting up and spinning, even while buried in Ron's pocket, but the thing was active for so long that there was clearly something wrong with it… until you noticed the thing only stopped when Scabbers wasn't around.

Tatsumi also noticed that Ron would watch her whenever the thing turned on or off, to see if she noticed. He didn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'discreet', but Tatsumi humored him anyway, asking if Scabbers ran away again when the Sneakoscope stopped moving about halfway through the Halloween Feast. Ron and Ginny had not-so-discreetly shared a triumphant look, when they thought she wasn't looking, but Tatsumi had only asked the question to give her Court a hint; as the Courts knew Sirius was innocent, but hadn't been told that Pettigrew was alive. The Twins already knew, being the only two outside the Allstars to have the special 'Journals' that Tatsumi made in her first year **(AN 3)** , and had seen his name on the map – granted, they had only noticed it _after_ they had been treated by a Mind Healer – but Tatsumi could see Percy turning pale and wide-eyed as he realized what she had hinted at. Since the Courts knew about the Marauders, it wasn't that hard to figure out, and Alicia and Angelina shared a look, mouthing the word 'Wormtail' in unison. Katie then looked at Tatsumi silently asking if it was even possible, and she paled when Tatsumi nodded. Then, when the students started heading towards their dorms after the Feast, the Dragon's Court grouped together and walked slowly as they spoke with low voices as to not be overheard.

"Isn't Pettigrew supposed to be dead?" Alicia asked. "He received the Order of Merlin _posthumously_ , surely they _proved_ he was dead, right?"

"They found his finger at the scene of the murder." Oliver said. "A single finger. If he had died in the explosion there would be more pieces, why hasn't anyone realized that? A finger can easily be cut off."

"Isn't Scabbers missing a toe?" Katie asked.

"This is why Black is heading _here_." Fay said. "But how would he know that the rat is here?"

"Remember the article about the Weasley divorce?" Tatsumi reminded them. "It shows Scabbers sitting on Bakagami's **(AN 4)** shoulder."

"And Ron is in your year." Percy realized. "That's what caused Black to escape, he knew Pettigrew would be in the castle at the same time as you." He then gave Tatsumi a slight glare. "That's also why Yoruichi has been after him, isn't it?" He asked accusingly, though only half-heartedly.

He knew the Allstars couldn't tell them everything, and, had he known that his ex-brother was sharing a bed with an Animagus, he would've been tempted to do something about it. In fact, had it not been for the fact that Ron seemed to be _aware_ of this, given the way he acted, Percy might _still_ have done something, if only for the sake of the other boys in Ronald's dorm. However, the way Ron and Ginny had shared that look when Tatsumi asked about 'Scabbers', had reminded him that those two were so far into Dumbledore's pocket that they were blind to the danger they were in. If Percy did anything to give away the fact that they knew Scabbers was Pettigrew, it could make the man unpredictable, and that was the _last_ thing they wanted.

When they finally reached the stairs, they were surprised to see their Housemates blocking the way. Percy stepped forward and pushed his way through the crowd. "Why is everyone standing out here?" He asked. "Let me through."

As soon as he reached the entrance to the Gryffindor-dorms, he could see exactly why everyone was locked out. "The Fat Lady is missing!" He yelled to his fellow Prefects. "Her Portrait has been slashed, someone get Professor McGonagall immediately!"

 **o000o**

Later that night, all the students were in sleeping-bags, gathered in the Great Hall while the castle was being searched.

"He's not making his case any better." Draco whispered. They were talking about Sirius.

"And he ruined our celebration." Tatsumi added sulking.

"Yoruichi says he's blinded by the desire to protect Tatsu from Pettigrew." Hermione whispered, having spoken to her 'cat' earlier in the evening. "He doesn't care about the personal consequences. Also… she mentioned that his Reiatsu was strange; she couldn't recognize exactly what was off about it though."

"Compulsions?" Juvia suggested. "From what Tatsu-sama told us about Ron and Ginny's behavior earlier, it confirms that Dumbledore knows about Pettigrew; he might be using them both for whatever he had planned for this year."

"You think that why he wanted me to have the Timeturner?" Hermione asked. "If Sirius is captured, he might hint to me to use the Timeturner to try and rescue him; Sirius would be indebted to him for that, not to mention grateful."

"That's assuming Sirius isn't already onto his manipulations." Draco said. "Don't forget, Dumbledore was Head of the Wizengamot back then as well, and for all he spouted about giving Death Eaters a 'second chance', he left Sirius to rot. You'd think he'd fight a little harder for a supposed ally."

The others nodded. Shortly after, the doors to the Hall opened and they had to fake being asleep as the staff returned. It was 3 AM, and the search was over. They heard Dumbledore talking with Severus, deliberately passing their group as they spoke. Severus, acting as Dumbledore would expect, implicated that Remus had helped Sirius escape, allowing Dumbledore to play 'hero' and defend the werewolf. Behind the old man's back, however, Severus rolled his eyes; now that his eyes had been opened to the man, could see how he and many others were so easily manipulated by him. It seemed so obvious now, but he still had to keep up appearances.

 **0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0**

"What villains are these that trespass upon my private lands!"

Tatsumi and a few of her housemates starred at the new portrait guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor Common room. The Fat Lady had been so frightened of her ordeal that she refused to return to her post. In her place, was a tiny knight named Sir Cadogan, who stalked a stretch grass with his pony grazing in the background.

"Who dares challenge Sir Cadogan!" The knight yelled brandishing his sword. "Back, you scurvy braggarts! You rogues!"

"He's barking mad!" Seamus exclaimed. "Why are we stuck with him?!"

"He was the only one who volunteered." Neville pointed out.

After what happened, none of the other portraits wanted to guard the dorm in fear of being attacked as well. Unfortunately, this meant the Gryffindors were stuck with a crazy, paranoid maniac who kept changing the password at the drop of a hat; he'd already done so twice this morning.

Tatsumi shook her head and started heading to the Great Hall for breakfast. When the others turned to follow her, the portrait yelled after them. "Farewell, comrades! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

The group looked back at him incredulously. This was the same fellow who had called them rogues just a minute ago, and now he was calling them comrades?

"Yeah, we'll call you..." Seamus said incredulously, then added with a mutter. "If we ever need someone _mental_."

 **o000o**

The change in atmosphere was obvious as soon as they entered the Great Hall. The fright of yesterday's attack, combined with the debilitating presence of the Dementors, and, most recently, the upcoming Quidditch-season rivalry, the students were being driven further and further down a very negative path, emotionally. Students of all ages were getting jumpy, aggressive, and paranoid; they didn't feel safe at all, and, unfortunately, all it took was a little prank to cause an eruption. During the Gryffindor/Slytherin Charms-class, everything went haywire when Parkinson thought it would be funny to cast a color-changing-spell at a Gryffindor-girl, whose best friend then threw a hex back at Parkinson, who ducked so the spell hit Goyle, who then threw an even nastier curse at the Gryffindors, starting an all-out war and sending many students hiding under their desks for cover.

Members of the Courts were dodging and casting shields, though Tatsumi was vanishing the nastier spells and Draco was stunning and binding the most trigger-happy students. Then, over the noise of the 'war', they suddenly heard Millicent scream in pain and Tatsumi looked up to find the girl's uniform showing the tell-tale signs of a cutting-hex, and she was bleeding. When Millicent looked up, she had fire in her eyes and she whipped out her wand and with a snarl, aiming it at Ron.

"Tarantallegra!" She cast.

Ron was hit dead on, his legs started dancing uncontrollably and several students burst out laughing. When Millicent then punched the ponce, some people were literally rolling on the floor and Professor Flitwick was freaking out believing they had been hit with the Tickling Charm.

"CLASS DISMISSED!" Flitwick yelled in desperation and the non-battling students fled for the door.

Millicent stalked off fuming, and Tatsumi and Daphne went after her. "He's such a pig-assed jerk!" Millicent growled kicking a suit of armor causing it to collapse. "All I did was protecting innocents caught in the cross-fire! I never even fired an offensive spell, and he attacks me with a dangerous curse!"

"And we'll make sure Flitwick knows what he did." Daphne said, casting a spell to reassemble the suit of armor. "The others are probably taking care of things as we speak."

"Yuki Hime (Snow Princess) is right." Tatsumi said. "Now, do you want to go to the Hospital Wing, or do you want me to heal you?"

"You do it." Millicent said after thinking about it for a minute. "I don't want to bother Madam Pomfrey with just a cut, especially when she's going to be busy with all those who got hexed or cursed."

Tatsumi nodded and put a green-glowing hand on Millicent's cut.

"By the way." Daphne said. "Were you really vanishing spells in mid-air, or was I seeing things?" She asked Tatsumi.

"Vanishing them." Tatsumi said.

"You can do that?!" Millicent asked shocked.

"Who said you couldn't?" Tatsumi said shrugging. "Besides, with all this negativity flying around I figured it'd be useful to know how to cancel out a bunch of spells at once."

Daphne nodded. "Let's just hope this means people have gotten some the animosity out of their systems." She sighed.

 **o000o**

Unfortunately, things hadn't gotten any better by dinner, and the Allstars shared looks through the sea of students. No one was eating. They knew they had to do something to rid of this mass of negativity that had gathered over the students, but how? A minute of silent communication passed between them, then Tatsumi smirked wickedly.

"FOOD FIGHT!"

That was all the incentive students needed, and food was thrown in all directions by all four houses. And hey, it was better than throwing spells at each other, and a hell of a lot more fun. Several professors tried to stop the mess, but ended up as targets themselves.

"ENOUGH!" Dumbledore shouted, but even that was met with a pie to the face.

The war continued.

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 ** _Author's notes:_**

 **1)** _The Pagan Calendar:_

According to a site I found, called 'Your Guide to the Pagan Calendar', there are 8 Sabbats

throughout the year, these Sabbats incorporates a festival that falls on "quarter days" and "cross quarter days" throughout the year, corresponding with equinoxes and solstices.

 _Following is a copy-paste list of these dates (Northern Hemisphere only.)_

 **Samhain - October 31st**... though many celebrate it through November 2nd. It is a time to appreciate and celebrate those who have passed on... to honor the dead. The veils between this world and the next are thinnest, which makes it easier to communicate with their spirits.

 **Yule (Midwinder) - December 19th - December 23rd.** Though many Wiccan celebrate this to correspond with Christmas...or in combination with. This is a celebration of the "Great God"...his rebirth that comes with the solstice.

 **Imbolc (Candlemas) - February 1st - February 2nd.** This is a fire festival aligned with the Goddess Brighid. It is a time for dedication and promises for the rest of the year.

 **Ostara (Vernal Equinox) - March 19th - March 23rd.** This holiday symbolizes the Mother Goddess rejoining her son who spent the winter in death.

 **Beltane - May 1st.** This is another fire festival. It is focused on fertility... and the union of the Lord and Lady.

 **Midsummer - June 19th - June 23rd.** This happens when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky.

 **Lammas (Lughnasadh) - August 1st - August 2nd.** This is a harvest festival, celebrated with a feast. Specific celebratory rituals vary widely by tradition.

 **Mabon (Autumnal Equinox) - September 20th - September 24th.** This is a time to give thanks... feasting and sharing, and enjoying the company. It's one of the 3 harvest festivals.

 **2)** In HP canon, Time-turners were limited to five hours until the year 2020, when 'true' Time-turners were invented, but since this story is AU, I've extended the time-limit to 24 hours.

 **3)** Remember the journals that allowed the Allstars and the twins to talk to each other via an inbuilt Protean Charm? And had a more advanced version of the Marauder's Map? I forgot about them.

 **4)** 'Bakagami' is short for 'Baka Akagami', which crudely translates to 'Idiot redhair'.


	31. Unused Scene (With Author's Note)

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 ** _Chosen Ones_**

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 _Author's Notes_

 ** _(SCROLL DOWN FOR UNUSED SCENE)_**

 _Hey guys,_

 _First of all, I'm sorry that there's no new chapter for you this month, but I've been having some problems continuing the story lately, though by that I mean the next 2-3 chapters and not the story as a whole. I do have a good idea of what I want to write, and how I want the story to end, and I even ideas for a sequel that will act as a conclusion or 'Part Two', if you will, but I'm having problems with this specific part of the story and I've run out of pre-written chapters to upload._

 _In addition, my brain is still very much riding the 'Noblesse' train, and I've spent a lot of time and energy figuring out the specifics of a potential story for that fandom. I tried switching my attention back to Chosen Ones, even starting to write a Character Interlude for Bill, but it didn't really work; and I really don't want to force myself to finish a chapter and end up with something that's rushed and not very well thought through, just to get something out. I'd rather take my time and get it right._

 _I've also come to realize that it's going to be a long time before I finish Chosen Ones, given that I still have three and a half 'years' left + the potential sequel, and it's dawned on me that, as a result, I'll never really have the time for other things I want to write. I've listed some of those things in a previous AN, but most importantly is Sleeping Dragons, which I've been neglecting because I've been so focused on Chosen Ones, and I've decided that I want to try and get those things done, or at least some of them. I also want to go over my previous chapters to check for any mistakes I may have made etc. I'm also hoping that I'll get re-inspired as I read through the story again._

 _So, I've decided to take a little break, and try to get all distractions out of my head before I continue the story. I don't know how long the break will last, and it might just be until the next deadline (January 1st), but, at this point in time, I just don't know. Unfortunately, this also means that my attention will be divided from now on. I have mentioned previously that my deadline (the first of every month) is a channel wide deadline and not specifically for Chosen Ones, which has been the only story on my channel for a long time, and, as a result, this story might not be uploaded as frequently as it has up until now. Once I get Sleeping Dragons back up, along with the potential new Noblesse story, it will really depend on my mood and inspiration for each month when it comes to which stories get updated and I've added a note about this on my profile._

 _Second of all, I've read the new guidelines (apparently they only show up when you try to post a new story) and I've made some changes as to my Author's Notes; they're now parts of story chapters rather than separate pages. Also, in order to uphold this rule while also giving you this message, I have put a scene I wrote a while ago at the bottom of the page, it's a scene I very likely won't use in the actual story, at least not in its current state, but I had to put up something, so I hope you enjoy it. It is a scene that was written while I was deciding which parents to bring into the Final Court, hence taking place sometime prior to Chapter 20, as well as before the idea of adding SAO into the mix._

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 ** _Unused scene_**

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Hannah had come over to help Susan with a meeting with her aunt/guardian. The Courts would be holding a meeting in a few days, and Susan had received orders to recruit her aunt to the new 'Final Court', which would hopefully consist of several other parents. The members of the Courts had taken turns using the Pensive and the box of memories to recruit their parents, along with a 'Memory-modification Device', just in case. The results of the recruitment would be revealed during the meeting, though Hannah could confirm that her father would be there.

Since the house was warded to the point where even the 'Trace' couldn't penetrate them, the girls used Levitation-charms to carry the Pensive and the box to Amelia's study. Susan had arranged for the meeting, asking to talk to her aunt during a day off from work, so Amelia was expecting them when Susan knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Amelia put away her paperwork and was surprised to see the Pensive and the large box that floated behind the girls as they entered. She hadn't quite known what to expect when Susan asked to have a serious talk with her, especially when the girl mentioned it could take several hours, but she had not expected it to be serious enough for a Pensive.

"It that really necessary?" She asked.

"I'm afraid it is, Auntie." Susan said settling the box on the desk while Hannah prepared the Pensive.

Susan opened the box, which turned out to be a multiple-level compartment box filled with vials of memories. The first level was labeled 'Fawkes' while the second was labeled 'Hogwarts 1-2', and the third level was labeled 'Ginny'. Susan pulled out a vial from the second level and showed her aunt the label.

 ** _¤Hogwarts – June 4th 2012_**

 ** _Battle of the Third Floor_**

 ** _Memory – Draco Malfoy¤_**

"Remember when I asked you if you knew anything about the Third Floor during my first year?" Susan asked.

"Yes." Amelia said remembering the letter her niece had sent her. She had not been informed of any unusual activity at the school, but had contacted the Headmaster and been told that the floor had been locked down due to security-reasons. "I also remember that I told you not to worry about it, and to stay out of it."

"Which I did." Susan assured her. "But, though I have no idea what the headmaster told you; I can pretty much guarantee that he lied to you."

Susan motioned for her aunt to join them by the Pensive. "It's easier if you see for yourself what really went on that year." She said and dumped the memory into the Pensive.

Hannah stayed behind while Susan and her aunt dived into the pensive. The memory started as Draco met up with the other Allstars outside the door to the third floor. The door was already open, much to Amelia's surprise, and by the time Hermione opened 'Fluffy's Room' with a _First-year_ spell, Amelia knew something was very, very wrong. When they emerged from the memory, Amelia was _livid_ , and more than a little scared for her niece's safety. She had a billion questions swimming through her head, but as most of them could be simmered down to 'What in Merlin's dirty underwear was Dumbledore thinking?!'; she settled for…

"How…how is he still alive?" She asked shakenly.

"That's where these come in." Hannah said referring to Fawkes' memories.

Susan grabbed a few of the vials and gave them to her aunt. "These are memories collected from the phoenix that kept Dumbledore company."

"And how did you get memories from Dumbledore's phoenix?" Amelia asked suspiciously.

"The phoenix belongs to Tatsumi." Susan explained. "She was able to free him from the slave-bond Dumbledore forced on him."

"SLAVE-BOND?!"

"It's better if you watch for yourself." Susan said. "But, if you don't mind, seeing these _once_ was enough, so I won't be diving with you."

Amelia had a bad feeling about that, but poured the memories into the Pensive and dived in. When she returned, she was pale as a ghost. "W-Was Tatsumi ever examined?" She asked.

The girls nodded. "The soul-fragment was discovered and removed years ago, but it was stored in a necklace that can now be used to locate other Horcuxes." Susan explained while Hannah pulled another vial from the box. Susan then collected the memories from the Pensive and put them back in the box.

While Hannah and Amelia dived into the memory of Tatsumi discovering the RoR and the Diadem, Susan put the memories back and pulled another vial out of the box as the other returned.

"Was the diadem destroyed?" Amelia asked.

"No, but the soul-fragment was removed and added to Tatsumi's necklace." Hannah said.

Amelia nodded. "So that's two down." She said.

"Three, actually." Susan said holding out the vial. "Neither Hannah or I have seen this one yet, but we were told of the events."

Amelia looked at the label and felt her blood run cold.

 ** _¤Hogwarts – May 29th 2013_**

 ** _Chamber of Secrets_**

 ** _Memory – Tatsumi Kurosaki¤_**

The three dived into the memory, and Amelia felt her heart stop as she saw the Basilisk. Afterwards, she couldn't help but feel awed at the display of power that the Allstars showed. The memory did leave her with even more questions though.

"How is it that they could look at the Basilisk?" She asked once they returned from the memory.

Susan pulled out a pair of goggles from her pocket. "They used these." She said. "They're made by Tatsumi's Godfather, who is an inventor and scientist. He made them based of a similar invention made at Winsor Magical Academy. Canadian Aurors use them when dealing with Creatures that have eye-based abilities like the basilisk's Death-gaze. We had already confirmed that they worked before they went down into the Chamber."

Amelia made a mental note to research the goggles later. "And how exactly did the two of you get involved with this?" She asked.

"At the beginning of Second Year, the Courts were officially established by people who were willing to take up the fight against both Dumbledore and You-Know-Who." Susan said and pulled the Memory-modification Device out of her pocket. "Those who didn't become a member of the Courts had their memories altered by this. So they thought the conversation as merely being asked whether or not they could consider becoming official teachers of the study-group."

"That casts the Obliviate?" Amelia asked shocked.

"No, this works differently." Susan said. "With the 'Obliviate', the castor can replace the memories with pretty much anything, but this is more limited, as it can only replace the memories with something the target is willing to believe. In fact, a less advanced version of this plants completely random memories into the target's head, so you never knew what you were going to get."

Hannah giggled and added; "Tatsumi once told us that when the less advanced version was used on her mother, when she was a teenager, she believed her house had been attacked by Yakuza gunman."

Amelia blinked. "I… see…" She said.

"Anyway." Susan continued. "Those of us that became members of the Courts, were shown all of Fawkes' memories, as well as memories from First Year, and we agreed that something had to be done."

"We know the war is going to break out again in the future." Hannah said. "And we wanted to be prepared. That's why I asked my parents to let me work at their medical clinic during the summer; I want to be ready to aid those wounded in battle."

Amelia turned to her niece. "I take it this is why you asked me to step-up your training as well?" She asked.

"Yes." Susan said determined. "Tatsumi and Draco are already teaching all of us how to incorporate our magic into physical combat, but our opponents have much more experience in battle than most of us."

Amelia couldn't argue with that logic. She looked over at the box filled with memories. "Are there copies of these memories?" She asked walking back to her desk.

"Yes." Susan said. "In fact that box contains copies of everything we've collected so far. We want to bring Dumbledore to justice for a lot of crimes, when the time is right. That's what Fawkes and Ginny's memories are for."

Amelia took a moment to read the labels. She didn't know what were in the vials, but she had a feeling she had plenty of 'interesting' evidence to watch.

"There's one more thing." Susan said as she remembered the short meeting the Courts had held a few days ago.

 **oxo**

Amelia was shocked. "That's a very serious allegation." She said, but her heart was fluttering.

She had once been engaged to Sirius Black, and had never wanted to believe he was guilty, but she had always believed that he received a fair trial, so she never looked into it. To find out that he may not have received a trial _at all_ was… it gave her hope. Then terror struck as she remembered the 'Kiss-on-sight' order.

"I'll look into it." She said trying to hide her excitement.

"The Courts will be holding a meeting in a few days." Susan said. "We'd like you to be there."

"A meeting?" Amelia asked.

"We want to establish a Court outside Hogwarts, so we're recruiting our parents." Hannah explained.

Amelia nodded. "I understand." She said. The kids wouldn't be able to do much from inside the castle-walls, so they needed someone on the outside. "Who else will be there?"

"My father will be there, but we can't confirm any other parents." Hannah said.

"Except for Tatsumi's parents and Godparents." Susan said. "As I understand it, Lord Kurosaki will be leading the group, and Tatsumi's Godmother will be infiltrating Hogwarts with the students."

"Lord Malfoy is out of the question for obvious reasons." Hannah added. "So is Juvia's father, who is bed-ridden due to illness."

"Why is Miss Shihoin infiltrating Hogwarts?" Amelia asked confused.

"Dementors." The girls chorused deadpanned.

Amelia couldn't argue with that.

"She's a cat-Animagus, so she'll be pretending to be Hermione's new cat." Susan explained.

"We should probably mention that the new DADA teacher, who is also Tatsumi's uncle, is a werewolf." Hannah said. "He's harmless, really, but we figured we'd give you a heads-up."

Amelia nodded. She didn't have anything against werewolves, but she could use the time to prepare for the complaints for when the news reached the media. She had also met Mr. Lupin on a few occasions, and was rather fond of the man.

"Is there anything else?" She asked.

"Nothing that won't be discussed at the meeting." Susan said.

Amelia nodded and watched the girls leave. Her mind was swimming with all the new information she had received. She realized she had a lot of work to do, and decided to head to her office; she needed to get rid of that 'Kiss-on-sight' order as soon as possible.

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End file.
